What was the situation?
6 year old Sam was absent from school for long periods of time due to illness. This resulted in his attendance dropping to 51%, at the threshold for severe absence. Sam was missing out on half of his education, which meant he was finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with his learning and stay connected to his peers.
Sam and his mum Dora were referred to School-Home Support practitioner Helena for support with improving Sam’s school attendance, health and wellbeing.
How did School-Home Support help?
Sam’s mum Dora explained to Helena that Sam had a very weak immune system and also struggled to eat certain foods. She shared that she was finding it challenging to establish bedtime routines and get Sam to bed on time when he was feeling unwell and unsettled. As a first priority, Helena worked with Dora to investigate Sam’s eating habits and routines, and made recommendations for improving them. Although this greatly helped with sleeping routines, Sam’s sickness continued.
When Helena made a visit to the family’s house, Dora mentioned in passing that the housing association was meant to be coming out to fix the damp. Helena was not aware of any damp, and so asked Dora to show her where it was particularly bad upstairs. It became clear to Helena that the severity of the damp may be a factor in Sam’s frequent sickness. Helena followed up with the housing association and accompanied Dora when they visited the property. It was established that the roof needed replacing, and all of the upstairs walls redone to get rid of the damp. With the housing association aware of the urgency of the situation, the work was completed as a priority and the family home was made much safer.
With better routines and boundaries in place, and the family’s housing issues resolved, it became much easier to manage Sam’s attendance. As Sam began attending school more regularly, his health and wellbeing improved significantly.
Since working with Helena, Sam’s attendance has increased to 82%. Helena will continue to support the family to build on the progress they have already made.
4 February 2025 is School Attendance Gap Day. Find out more and get involved.