Attendence Support Programme
Ready to Start Re-engaging?
Whether you're a school concerned about deteriorating attendance, a professional supporting a long-term non-attender, or a family struggling to find a way forward, we'd be happy to talk.
Start with the relationship.
Build the confidence.
Create the pathway back.
[ MAKE A REFERRAL ] [ CONTACT OUR EDUCATION TEAM ]
Attendance Support Programme
Part of the Inspiring Futures Education Offer
Trust • Hope • Resilience • Independence • Value • Empowerment
Helping every young person find their route back to learning — and the opportunity to THRIVE.
Behind Every Absence Is a Young Person
An attendance report might say:
58%.
Persistent Absence.
Severe Absence.
School Refusal.
Non-engagement.
We see:
A young person with a story.
A young person with strengths.
A young person who may have stopped believing things can change.
And that's where our work begins.
Attendance is the measure. Engagement is the journey. Belonging is what makes change possible.
Attendance Support Programme
Re-engagement • Relationships • Confidence • Belonging
When a young person stops attending school, the question shouldn't simply be “Why aren't they coming in?” It should be “What is making it difficult for them to come in — and what needs to change?”
Inspiring Futures' Attendance Support Programme provides personalised, relationship-led support for young people whose attendance has become a significant concern.
We have extensive experience engaging young people who may have become disconnected from education, including persistent and severe absentees, long-term non-attenders, young people experiencing emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), and those for whom previous attempts at re-engagement have been unsuccessful.
We don't believe attendance difficulties are solved by simply telling a young person they need to attend.
We work to understand what sits behind the absence, build a relationship the young person can trust and create realistic, achievable steps back towards education.
Because before we can improve attendance, we often need to rebuild trust.
[ MAKE A REFERRAL ] [ TALK TO OUR TEAM ]
Who Do We Support?
Our Attendance Support Programme can support young people experiencing a wide range of barriers to accessing education, including:
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persistent or severe absence
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emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA)
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long-term non-attendance
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anxiety around school or education
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SEND or SEMH needs
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previous suspensions or permanent exclusion
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difficulties with peers or relationships in school
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bullying or negative experiences of education
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low confidence and self-esteem
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family or home circumstances affecting attendance
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disrupted education or multiple school placements
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difficulty managing transitions
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disengagement from learning
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young people who have become increasingly isolated at home
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young people at risk of becoming completely disconnected from education
Some of the young people we work with may not have attended school consistently for weeks or months.
Others may still be attending occasionally, but the signs of disengagement are increasing.
Early intervention matters — but it's never too late to start rebuilding the relationship with education.
Our Approach
There is no standard route back into education.
For one young person, progress may begin with attending Inspiring Futures for a short session.
For another, it might start with meeting a trusted practitioner away from school.
Someone else may initially need support at home before they're ready to access another environment.
Our programme can include:
1-to-1 Mentoring
Building a consistent relationship with a trusted adult who can listen, understand barriers and help the young person begin moving forward.
Outreach & Engagement
Meeting young people where they are when accessing a setting initially feels impossible.
SEMH Support
Helping young people understand anxiety, emotions and triggers while developing strategies for managing them.
Confidence & Self-Belief
Rebuilding a young person's belief in themselves and their ability to succeed.
Education & Learning
Gradually reconnecting young people with learning in an environment where they can experience achievement.
Boxing & Physical Activity
Using positive activity to reduce pressure, develop relationships and build confidence, resilience and emotional regulation.
Personal Development
Supporting communication, relationships, independence, problem-solving and positive decision-making.
School Reintegration
Where appropriate, working alongside the school and young person to create a gradual and realistic pathway back into education.
The Outcomes We Work Towards
Every young person's journey will be different, but outcomes can include:
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increased engagement with professionals and education
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improved attendance
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reduction in persistent or severe absence
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increased ability to leave the home and access provision
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improved emotional regulation
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reduced anxiety around education
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improved confidence and self-esteem
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stronger relationships with trusted adults
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increased participation in learning
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improved peer relationships
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greater resilience
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increased independence
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successful reintegration into school where appropriate
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transition into suitable alternative or specialist provision where required
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reduced risk of becoming NEET
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increased aspirations for education, training and employment
We measure progress from the young person's individual starting point, not simply against where we think they should already be.
Relationships Change Attendance
Young people who have disengaged from education may also have lost trust in the adults and systems around them.
That's why relationships sit at the centre of our approach.
Our practitioners are consistent.
We listen.
We don't judge a young person by their attendance record.
We maintain boundaries and expectations while giving young people the time and opportunity to build trust.
And when engagement is difficult, we don't immediately interpret that as failure.
Sometimes the young people who appear hardest to reach are the ones who most need someone to keep reaching.
Working in Partnership
Attendance difficulties rarely exist in isolation, and sustainable change is much more likely when the adults around a young person work together.
We can work collaboratively with:
Schools • Families • SEND Teams • Local Authority Services • Social Care • Virtual Schools • Youth Justice • Health Professionals • Other Agencies
Communication and information-sharing are maintained appropriately throughout the intervention, with safeguarding at the heart of our practice.
Where reintegration is the goal, we can work alongside the school to develop a gradual plan that gives the young person the greatest possible opportunity to succeed.
The goal isn't to create dependence on Inspiring Futures.
It's to build the confidence, skills and support around a young person that allows them to move forward.
Understanding EBSA
For young people experiencing Emotionally Based School Avoidance, non-attendance isn't necessarily a refusal to learn.
The emotional distress associated with attending school can become so significant that simply entering the building feels unmanageable.
Pressure alone can make that situation worse.
Our approach focuses on understanding what the young person is experiencing, identifying triggers and barriers, creating psychological and relational safety, and gradually rebuilding their confidence in accessing education.
We work alongside the young person, family, school and relevant professionals to support progress that is planned, achievable and sustainable.
The aim isn't simply to get a young person through the school gates tomorrow.
It's to help them develop the confidence and support they need to keep moving forward.
For Schools & Professionals
Our Attendance Support Programme can be used as an early intervention before attendance deteriorates further or as a more intensive response where a young person has already become significantly disengaged.
Support can be tailored around individual circumstances and may include:
Outreach • 1-to-1 Mentoring • EBSA Support • SEMH Intervention • Education • Physical Activity • Family Engagement • Reintegration Planning • Transition Support
Following referral, we work with the referring professional and young person to understand the current situation, identify priorities and agree an appropriate starting point.
Engagement Before Expectation
For a young person who has been out of education for a significant period, expecting them to suddenly return to a full timetable can feel overwhelming.
We break that journey down.
First contact.
First conversation.
First trusted relationship.
First session attended.
First positive experience of learning.
Then the next step.
What may look like a small achievement to someone else can represent enormous progress for a young person who has become completely disconnected from education.
We recognise those steps, build upon them and gradually increase expectations as confidence and engagement develop.
We don't lower aspirations. We create a realistic route towards reaching them.
Lived Experience. Professional Practice. Real Understanding.
Our team brings together professional expertise, specialist practice and lived experience.
This helps us connect with young people who may have disengaged from more traditional forms of support.
We understand that behaviour and non-attendance communicate something.
Our job is not to excuse behaviour or remove responsibility, but to understand what's underneath it and help the young person develop the skills, confidence and resilience to make positive changes.