This webinar will discuss why vulnerable students can often struggle to attend secondary school – and what we can do about it.
For many young people attendance at school feels impossible. From criminal exploitation and other safeguarding issues to school avoidance and mental health barriers, there are so many reasons why this is.
Some students, when they do attend, fail to engage in lessons and/or struggle to obey school rules. Many of those who disengage are vulnerable learners who need our help to attend, be attentive and achieve their potential.
This webinar will discuss some of these barriers and, more importantly, what schools can do to remove or reduce them and improve the attendance and punctuality of vulnerable students. The panel will explore the causes of disengagement and suggest practical solutions.

HOST
Matt Bromley, Bromley Education. Matt is an education writer and advisor with more than 20 years’ experience in teaching and leadership including as a secondary school headteacher, principal, FE college vice-principal, and MAT director. Matt is regular contributor to SecEd, co-host of the SecEd Podcast, and a leading member of the SecEd editorial board.
@mj_bromley

MEET OUR EXPERTS

Dr Pooky Knightsmith, Creative Education. Pooky is a passionate ambassador for mental health, wellbeing and PSHE. Her work is backed up both by a PhD in child and adolescent mental health and her own lived experience of PTSD, anorexia, self-harm, anxiety and depression. Pooky is a regular contributor to SecEd and the SecEd Podcast.
@PookyH

Jo McShane is interim assistant headteacher for behaviour at Benfield School in Newcastle. She works primarily in the Behaviour Provision where she is designing interventions to develop relational practice. She is also director of jomcshaneequinetherapy.com which supports vulnerable learners via interactions with her Shetland pony herd.
@JoMcShane13

Ben Eason is deputy headteacher and the designated safeguarding lead at Rainham School for Girls in Gillingham, Kent, part of The Kemnal Academies Trust (TKAT). Ben is also the Regional Lead for TKAT’s pastoral tutoring programme A Champion for Every Child.
@RainhamGirls

Paul Haigh is headteacher of King Ecgbert School in Sheffield, part of the Mercia Learning Trust, as well as a regular contributor to the SecEd Podcast and long-standing member of the SecEd editorial board.
@paulhaigh

THIS WEBINAR WILL ANSWER KEY QUESTIONS

• Who are our vulnerable learners?
• To what extent is the attendance of these learners lower than their peers?
• Why is the attendance of vulnerable learners lower?
• Why has this got worse since Covid?
• Do you think this will persist? For how long?

We will explore some key causes of absenteeism, our guests' experiences in their own schools, and what we can do to mitigate each factor:
• Anxiety and mental health issues
• Poverty
• Housing
• Illness
• More parents working from home
• Special needs and disabilities
• Getting out of the habit

Question & answer from the audience
• We will leave time for questions at the end of the webinar