Worried about your disabled child’s school attendance in England?

2 mins read

Tuesday 1 November 2022

Tags: education, facebook q&a, special educational needs, school attendance, medical absence, facebook group, sen team

School attendance is a big concern for many families with disabled children.

Many have children who are unable to attend school due to medical needs or disabilities, such as severe anxiety. But more parents in England are being penalised for genuine medical absence. 

Some parents are concerned about how medical-related absences will affect their child’s attendance and want more information on what help is available. Others need advice about what the school or local authority should do to support their child’s return after a long absence. 

Join our Facebook Q&A

That’s why our SEN team are running a special Q&A on Thursday 10 November, between 10am and 11:30am, in Contact’s private (closed) Facebook group for parent carers. 

This is your chance to ask our education advisers any questions you may have about school attendance in England. Make sure to join our group in order to take part in the Q&A. You just need to answer three membership questions and one of our moderators will let you in! 

The session will be carried out entirely in writing. This means you can stop by the group anytime between 10-11:30am to leave a comment with your question under our special Q&A post. You can then come back later on to read what our advisers replied. 

Can’t make it on 10 November? 

If you can’t make our Q&A, don’t worry. Once our session’s finished, you’ll be able to read through all the answers at a time that suits you. 

We also have lots of information to help you on our website. 

Take a look at our education webpages to read advice about school attendance and getting help with medical needs. 

Families in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland will find links to advice pages relevant to them at the bottom of our school attendance webpage.