Education Welfare Service

Improving attendance is everyone's business. The barriers to accessing education are wide and complex, both within and beyond the school gates, and are often specific to individual pupils and families.

Good attendance begins with school being somewhere pupils want to be and therefore the foundation of securing good attendance is that school is a calm, orderly, safe, and supportive environment where all pupils are keen and ready to learn.

For some children, attending school every day will be harder than for others. Many factors can impact on school attendance including minor ailments, more serious medical conditions, SEND needs, undiagnosed needs, mental health, bullying, cost of living pressures, etc.

These factors can all add to additional challenges to attending school and require a supportive approach. This is why schools, and St Helens Council are committed to working together with families to remove barriers and support your child's attendance.

The statutory DfE guidance Working together to improve school attendance (GOV.UK) sets out positive expectations for maintained schools, academies, independent schools, and local authorities to support you.

Education Welfare Service provides help, advice and support to schools and families experiencing school attendance related difficulties. We hold the statutory responsibility for the following areas of work:

• Elective Home Educated
• Children Missing Education
• Not In Receipt of Full Time Education 
• Child employment and performance licences
• Chaperone licences
• Legal sanctions relating to school attendance, including Penalty Notices and Prosecutions, under section 4441 4441A of the Education Act 1996