Engaging parents and families: Engaging parents and families to improve attendance in school - Sketchnote

Engaging parents and families in attendance 

• Working together: Parents, families, schools and learners as a team towards a shared goal 

• Building relationships: Building supportive relationships while understanding families' unique needs and challenges 

• Providing meaningful and holistic practical support and strategies 

• Messaging that highlights to parents and families that they are not in it alone: 'Together, we can make a difference' 

• Acknowledging and building on parents’ efforts 

• Improving attendance may not be a quick fix 

Barriers: Children and Young People 

• Disengagement from the curriculum, not belonging, learning styles, theoretical focus, and judgmental attitudes 

• Poverty, Homelessness, Mental Health, Hunger 

• Learning interruptions: Young Carers, Additional Support Needs, Service Families 

• Singled out or negative response when they turn up late 

• Child feels they do not fit in, Falling Out, Excluded, Introvert 

Barriers: Parents and families 

• Cost of the school day 

• Alcohol, drugs, anti-social behaviour 

• Homeless and/or temporary housing 

• No electricity to wash and dry uniform 

• Language and Culture, Sign language, English as an Additional Language, Literacy 

• Visual impairment 

• Kinship Carers, Foster Parents, Adoptive Parents 

• Families affected by prison