8th September 2025
Connect's parent/carer survey on School Attendance: Hearing from Families about Supporting Children is out now. It received 350 responses from 30 local authorities.
The survey report, which you can read here, shows that over half of respondents (60%) report their child attends school nearly all the time, and two thirds (67%) are satisfied with their child’s attendance. However, a quarter (25%) of parents report that their child has experienced long term absence from school. Parents also tell us that positive relationships with staff (69%) and the provision of subjects which interest young people (67%) are key to encouraging attendance, as are friendships (65%) and feeling supported (61%) and safe (60%) in school.
For the 25% of respondents who are struggling, some of whom are at the end of their tether, there are many complex reasons for the challenges faced by families: unmet mental health needs, a lack of additional support in school and in classes, transport issues, underfunding, and school buildings which are not suitable for neurodivergent children.
Gavin Yates, Executive Director of Connect, said:
'In 2025 National Improvement Framework, the Scottish Government speaks of its focus on the ABCs: 'attendance, achievement, behaviour and the curriculum in schools'. Connect's report shows how big the attendance challenge really is and the extent of the deep distress faced by many families and their young people. We call for a focus on kindness, support and meaningful engagement with families so that young people's needs can be met and they can thrive, learn and progress as they should. We all have a role to play and a responsibility in how we approach this deeply sensitive and complex issue. The pain and suffering being experienced by many families should be at the heart of how school attendance is supported.'
Connect's calls for change are:
- A compassionate, family-focused and support-based approach to absence policies: school staff should take an empathetic, non-judgemental approach to absence, prioritising individual experience to create a support plan from this
- Clear channels of communication between parents and carers and school staff, with designated points of contact for parents and children to raise any concerns and provide preventative support before absences occur. Building relationships and taking preventative action will help children and young people to attend school and will provide parents with reassurance of ongoing support should long-term absence occur
- Ongoing support during and after long-term absences from school. Children and their families need to be supported during their absence by school staff with external support, such as mental health professionals, if needed. Support and guidance during and after returning to school is imperative, to catch up on learning and to aid social integration during the transition back to school
- Parents and young people must be listened to when creating plans for returning to school after long-term absence, so their family experiences feed into an individualised plan of action and support, not a one size fits all implementation of school policy
- School staff must be trained on compassionate approaches to managing attendance concerns. Greater resourcing is essential to ensure staff can spent adequate time building supportive relationships with children in schools
- Other issues must be tackled including: the provision of school transport; an inclusive curriculum with subject choices that reflect the diversity of children and young people; comprehensive whole-school approaches to challenging bullying behaviour; and improved mental health support for young people. These factors can all contribute to school attendance - a holistic approach will ensure better outcomes for children and their families.
For more information, email info@connect.scot