School attendance in Wales: suggestions for support from parents and carers — October 2024

With pupil absence currently still much higher than pre-pandemic levels, increasing school attendance remains a key priority for Welsh Government.

For this follow up piece of qualitative research, Parentkind undertook focus groups with parents of children with significant levels of absence, as well as interviews with several Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs) and Community Focused School Managers from across Wales. The majority of parents we spoke to had a child with diagnosed or undiagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders, which had been a key contributing factor to their long-term absence from school.

1. Parents don’t feel listened to
A common issue raised by parents was not being believed or trusted by schools when raising concerns, with several describing how this shifted into blaming parents. 

2. Delays to assessments and support
Parents reported long delays in getting an assessment of their child’s learning needs and an overreliance on a formal medical diagnosis. Once support plans were in place, the situation was often compounded by further delays in receiving the support needed.

3. The school environment
Parents shared positive and negative experiences with schools and noted that a supportive, welcoming environment made a significant difference in resolving attendance issues. 

4. Provision for learners
Parents spoke about the impact of a lack of specialist provision and limited support to help their children continue engaging with education and learning while absent from school. 

5. Issues with the wider system
Parents were frustrated by a lack of accountability in assessment and support and called for better co-ordination between services, plus less reliance on a ​‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. 

6. Lack of support for families
Parents would value clearer advice and help on how to support the needs of their child and family at home, as well as how to secure the right support at school.