There's many reasons why your child may be struggling with school: common reasons we come across are social or academic pressures, bullying, anxiety, health problems, unmet SEND/ neurodivergent needs, concern for a family member at home.

Talk to your child to find out why they're struggling. A good way to do this is during an activity (dog walking, board games, etc) or whilst you're in the car together - it can seem less confrontational. Choose a good time when you have lots of time to listen and you can speak one to one.

When you know the reasons, your next step is to speak to someone at school who knows your child. Head of Year, SENDCo or Pastoral support are all good starting points. They will all have had many conversations with parents about non-attendance. Schools in general have a number of ways to support your child and re-engage them with education. Reduced timetables, additional pastoral support, lessons in small units and card systems are all common interventions they might suggest to support you.

Your first port of call it to talk with your child's GP. It's a good idea to make a list beforehand of things you'd like to address. Include your worries and any concerning behaviour that your child has shown. Dates and times can help too.

Speak with your child too. Some children may not want to worry you and be trying to cope with big emotions and difficulties on their own. 

Most schools now have a Mental Health Lead, a trained member of the teaching team. Mental Health Leads may be able to give your child some simple strategies to support their mental health or low moods.

Write down your concerns and arrange an appointment with the school. A class teacher (primary) or Head of Year (secondary) can raise concerns with the school's SENDCo, a teacher responsible for planning extra support.

Schools now have effective 'ordinarily available inclusive provision': standard support and resources provided to all learners, including reasonable adjustments and interventions. A SENDCo may also involve other allied professionals, such as a Speech Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Educational Psychologist or CAMHS.

The term neurodivergent covers a range of conditions. Autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, Tourette Syndrome and synesthesia are some.

Make an appointment with your GP and ask them to refer you onto an assessment pathway. Unfortunately the wait for assessments can be long (2 years to first appointment in some cases) but you may be able to speed things up by asking your GP about Right to Choose options.

Taking your child off the school register is a huge decision (see below). When elective home education is chosen for the right reasons, it can be extremely rewarding and beneficial for all family members. Many parents we speak to are considering home education to support their child's mental health.

We always advise speaking with the school as part of your decision-making process. In many cases, schools were not aware of concerns and are able to make adjustments to improve your child's school experience.

It's widely known that any parent has the right to remove their child from mainstream school by writing to the headteacher about your decision to electively home educate (EHE). Less known is the responsibilities that follow... 

Things to weigh up are:

- Parents are responsible for providing a 'broad and balanced' curriculum. You don't have to follow the national curriculum or work to set hours.

- Parents are responsible for funding all costs associated with their child's education (social groups, books, resources, tuition, exam fees). Costs vary from £1,000 to £8,000 per year. Weigh this up against the cost of uniform, school trips etc.

- You may be visited by an Educational Welfare Officer, so it's a good idea to keep evidence of your child's learning (written work, photos, videos, group attendance).  The government is currently considering a register for home schooled children. Your local authority may want an annual report of the education you've provided.

- Older students may find accessing post-16 options more difficult without GCSE qualifications in English and Maths. There's lots of competition for spaces at private exam centres with some charging upwards of £250 per subject sat.

- Working hours can be restricted. There's no legal age for leaving a child on their own but it is an offence to leave a child alone if it places them at risk of harm, leading to prosecution for neglect.

We've met and work with a number of very 'well-rounded' and capable home educated students. When decisions are considered and informed, EHE can be a positive change for your family.

Sometimes students are awarded an EHCP (Education Health Care Plan) to support a higher level of needs in their education and health.

If your child has an EHCP and you wish to withdraw them from a mainstream school then you are able to electively home educate if you wish.

If your child has an EHCP and you wish to withdraw them from a specialist provision, you may need to get permission to electively home educate from the headteacher or local authority.

It's uncommon for EHCP funding to be awarded to a parent as a personal budget so you will need to self-fund any future education costs for your child.

If you've been through the process of EHCP application and been rejected it can be a hard blow, but it's not final.

Read the paperwork you've been sent carefully and work to the timescales that have been set. You must consider mediation, even if you plan to appeal. Details for mediation should be in your local authority decision letter.

After mediation, you'll receive a certificate that you can then use in an appeal. DIAS (contact details below) may also be able to support you.

A common reason cited for EHCP refusal is 'not enough evidence'. Keep (and request) copies of all letters regarding your child's health and education and include them in any appeal.

Parents often assume that an official diagnosis will come with a follow-up plan. In our collective experiences, this is often not the case. 

However, there are great online resources from charities and other organisations that we think are great support:

British Dyslexia Association

ADHD UK

National Autistic Society

Papyrus

Charlie Waller Trust

Your child may now be eligible for Disability Living Allowance. You can make an application via this link.