Listen First
Why school culture is critical to attendance SEND and Mental Health
“My behaviour is not who I am – it’s a reflection of a world that hasn’t heard my pain.”
In a culture driven by high levels of external accountability, how hard is it to truly hear what this young person is saying? If we are serious about tackling the big problems in education, we must start by listening better.
At TACaccess, our main focus is providing timely support for children and young people. As former school leaders, we know that those most in need of help are often those with special educational needs — and they are also frequently poor attenders. Experience tells us that tackling problems early is the surest way to set children and young people on a path to happiness and success.
Organisations that understand this are child-centred. In these places, everyone recognises that the way they act and respond to need is fundamental to the wellbeing and achievement of the young people in their care. That doesn’t happen by accident; it happens by design — in organisations where the culture genuinely puts children and young people first.
Children and young people don’t attend schools and colleges because they like the systems or the uniforms. They attend because the adults there know their names, understand their stories, and have their backs. Too often, efforts to improve attendance focus on punitive enforcement measures. What’s frequently overlooked is the complex interplay between mental health, special educational needs, and family circumstances — all of which can lie behind persistent absence.
Where organisations invest in building relationships with families, those stories can be heard, understood, and worked through together.
Attendance matters, of course, but the public dialogue around it needs to shift. The focus cannot remain solely on academic achievement. No child or young person can progress unless their emotional needs are met first. There is a direct relationship between mental health and attendance: a young person who misses school is at greater risk of declining mental health through social isolation — and the more isolated they become, the harder it is to attend.
The link with SEND is equally complex. Children with poor mental health are seven times more likely to have special educational needs and six times more likely to have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Anxiety and depression can erode focus and motivation, increasing the need for additional support. And if you’re already working harder than your peers just to keep up, your anxiety is likely to rise even further.
Organisations with a child-centred culture understand these connections. They work collaboratively and proactively to resolve problems early, and they nurture a supportive community where children feel safe and known. Such cultures also help prevent issues like bullying — which disproportionately affect children with SEND.
Understanding how attendance, mental health, and SEND intersect is a cornerstone of a healthy school culture. While frameworks and strategies increasingly acknowledge the importance of wellbeing and inclusion, success ultimately depends on how deeply these values are embedded in everyday practice.
At TACaccess, we believe that listening, understanding, and responding early are the keys to helping every child and young person thrive — not through systems and sanctions, but through connection, compassion, and care.