Cornwall Education Learning Trust (CELT), along with many schools across the country, is focusing on improving attendance rates, bringing them back to pre-Covid levels.
Keen to make a real change, we dug straight in with some data analysis, and found we needed to investigate SEND children’s attendance before we developed an overall strategy. Essentially, we knew we needed to do things differently.
First things first
We challenged ourselves with the following theory of change: If we foster trusting, respectful relationships with our communities and families focused on a shared commitment to the children, then we will be better informed, and develop deeper, more effective relationships to provide support and challenge.
More children will feel a sense of belonging, be motivated to access school and achieve highly.
Our work has initially focused on the town of St. Austell, which includes one of our primaries and one secondary. Although, when we shared our theory with our SENDCos, several other schools within our Trust were keen to engage.
The first step was to really listen to our parents of children with SEND. We did this in a variety of ways. For example, we met parents individually, held parent/carer cafes and thought carefully about matching staff who had positive existing relationships with parents so that we ensured parents felt comfortable enough to be honest.
We asked what was going well, what wasn’t going well and any potential next steps to improve things.
The feedback was interesting and gave us lots to think about. Some comments were hard to hear, but this just motivated us further to improve things for our families.
Another point of interest is that when we properly unpicked parent concerns, many were related to factors outside of our control, such as delays in processing education healthcare plans (EHCPs), the lack of specialist placements and waiting lists for educational psychologists and other professionals.
However, we realised that despite a wealth of information regarding SEND processes published on our school’s websites, several parents were unaware of how they worked. This enabled us to review how we communicate.
For example, parents suggested that we feature various support staff in our newsletter to explain their role in school. We also held short information sessions from staff, sharing how they work with children, while parents enjoyed a cup of tea and a catch-up with each other.
From here to there
The first key area we decided to focus on was improving our transition processes for children with SEND from primary to secondary school. We were able to action suggestions made by parents and further develop existing practice.
Our pilot secondary school, Poltair, further developed its tailored transition to include a universal, targeted and bespoke tiered approach including offering weekly transition sessions.
All Year 6 children were invited to ‘Easter Super Sixes’, which were fun sessions held at Poltair during the Easter holidays to support children to familiarise themselves with the school site while it was quiet.
The universal offer invites families to attend a session on Friday afternoons at the school. Children are asked to attend with a parent/carer so that the family can familiarise themselves with the school and build relationships with staff. The school hosts thirty families each week throughout the summer term.
Staff were conscious of possible cognitive overload for children at transition events, so they enlisted the support of the Cornwall Council ASD Advisor. The advisor attended events with families and worked with parents at a separate session to share strategies to support their children through transition.
After meetings between primary and secondary staff, children who would benefit from enhanced transition support were identified and given a golden ticket. The children and their parents were invited to smaller sessions with a maximum of eight other families to enjoy practical sessions such as pizza-making, with a higher ratio of staff in attendance.
We prioritised peer and staff relationship building activities during the summer term, too. Targeted children were allocated a mentor, who checked in regularly. There were also opportunities for the primary staff to join transition events and a check-in with children and staff during the first half of the autumn term.
Looking up
For example, a new Year 7 SEND student with prior school anxiety attended weekly transition events, which reduced their concerns significantly. This was complemented by regular check-ins at the Inclusion Hub, leading to an attendance rate of 97%. The family reported the transition as “seamless” due to tailored support.
Impact highlights included improved attendance, where Year 7 SEND attendance matched overall rates at 97%, demonstrating effective anxiety-reduction strategies, and enhanced parent and student voice.
Parents also praised proactive communication, including individual meetings, cafés, and tailored support plans, and families reported feeling connected and well-supported through regular updates and accessible SEND teams.
As far as pupil feedback goes, our learners said they valued opportunities to familiarise themselves with staff, peers, and the school environment through enhanced transition days, safe spaces, and targeted visits.
The SEN Year 6–7 Transition Project demonstrated measurable success in improving attendance and fostering a supportive environment for families. Ongoing refinements, such as earlier planning and more inclusive activities, will strengthen future transitions.
However, the most valuable takeaway is the true power of really listening to our families.
Claire Bunting has been a primary headteacher for over 10 years. She currently leads the CELT‘s Cradle to Career project working with Reach Foundation, Feltham.
