Attendance Services
At Best Foot Forward, we recognise the importance of early intervention in addressing poor school attendance. We understand that the reasons behind persistent absence are often complex and unique to each young person.
Individualised Attendance Interventions
Our attendance support programmes in Hampshire and BCP are tailored to the specific needs of each student. We take time to identify the underlying barriers to attendance, which may include:
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Anxiety and EBSA (Emotionally Based School Avoidance)
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Social or emotional challenges
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Negative experiences in education
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Additional learning needs
By understanding the root causes, we are able to implement targeted, personalised strategies that support sustainable improvements in attendance.
Bridging the Gap Between Home and School
We recognise that schools may not always have the capacity or resources to address attendance challenges as effectively as needed. That’s where Best Foot Forward can help.
Our role is to act as a trusted link between home, school, and other professionals, helping to:
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Strengthen communication and relationships
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Build trust with the young person and their family
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Create a consistent, supportive approach to improving attendance
Tackling Persistent Absenteeism
Through collaboration and tailored support, we aim to reduce persistent absenteeism and help young people re-engage with education in a positive and sustainable way.
By addressing attendance early and effectively, we support students to rebuild routines, confidence, and a pathway back into education.
The Right Intervention
At Best Foot Forward, we understand that there is a strong link between the home learning environment and a young person’s engagement and performance in education.
We believe that schools, parents, and alternative education providers share a common goal: achieving the best possible outcomes for every young person.
Supporting Effective Parent and School Collaboration
We recognise that working effectively with parents and carers can sometimes be challenging and requires consistent communication, trust, and ongoing support. This is where Best Foot Forward can make a meaningful difference.
We act as a bridge between home and school, helping to:
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Strengthen relationships and communication
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Provide guidance and support to families
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Ensure a consistent, joined-up approach to supporting the young person
Planning, Monitoring, and Measuring Progress
Our team works collaboratively with both schools and families to:
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Set clear, achievable goals
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Develop tailored support plans
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Monitor progress against defined outcomes
This structured approach ensures that every intervention is purposeful, measurable, and focused on long-term success.
Flexible Attendance Interventions
Our Attendance Interventions Pyramid demonstrates the range of support we can offer to improve school attendance and engagement. It also highlights the flexibility of our approach, allowing us to select the most effective interventions for each individual student.
Please see below for more details on how our tailored support can help improve attendance and outcomes.
Productive Communication
At Best Foot Forward, we promote a consistent approach to behaviour management between parents, schools, and support staff. By aligning expectations and strategies, we help create a stable and supportive environment for each young person.
Strengthening Two-Way Communication
We believe that effective communication with parents and carers should always be two-way. Actively consulting with families about how they can be involved not only builds trust but also significantly improves outcomes.
Research shows that many parents feel they are not regularly consulted. At Best Foot Forward, we work to change this by:
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Encouraging open and ongoing dialogue
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Involving parents in decision-making and planning
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Ensuring their insights and experiences are valued
This collaborative approach strengthens home-school relationships and supports better engagement.
Engaging and Supporting Families
Clear and consistent communication from schools and support services is especially important for engaging parents who may have had limited contact with education settings.
We support parents and carers to take an active role in their child’s development by helping them to:
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Encourage goal setting and aspiration
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Support planning and organisation
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Develop skills in time management and emotional regulation
Promoting Independent Learning
By empowering parents to support their children effectively, we help young people to:
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Take ownership of their learning
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Build self-regulation skills
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Improve motivation and engagement
This holistic, partnership-based approach ensures that young people are supported both at home and in education, leading to more sustainable progress and positive outcomes.
Supporting Learning at Home
The Best Foot Forward Attendance Programme can begin with a supportive home visit, helping us to build a clear understanding of the young person and their environment.
These visits are designed to:
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Gain insight into the young person’s home life and routine
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Clearly explain the aims of the attendance support programme
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Identify where families may benefit from additional support
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Build a positive and trusting relationship between home and school
Assessing Needs and Targeting Support
We begin by carrying out a thorough assessment of needs, working closely with parents and carers to understand what will best support improved attendance.
Our approach ensures that:
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Support is carefully targeted and personalised
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Resources are used effectively
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Interventions help to close gaps rather than widen them
Working in Partnership with Parents
At Best Foot Forward, we are committed to working collaboratively and sensitively with families. Our staff communicate in a way that avoids:
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Stigmatising or blaming parents
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Creating additional pressure or discouragement
Instead, we focus on empowering parents and carers, helping them to feel confident in their role as:
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Equal partners in their child’s education
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Active contributors to improving attendance and outcomes
By building trust, understanding, and shared responsibility, we create a strong foundation for sustainable improvements in school attendance and engagement.
Sustained and Intensive Support
At Best Foot Forward, we believe that a structured, evidence-based approach is key to developing positive behaviour, consistency, and engagement, particularly for young people with more complex needs.
Flexible Support Through Home Visits
For younger children or those with higher levels of need, we offer regular home visits as part of our support package. This approach can be particularly effective for:
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Parents and carers who may find it difficult to attend meetings
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Building strong, trusting relationships within the home environment
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Gaining a deeper understanding of the young person’s needs
Collaborative and Responsive Provision
Best Foot Forward works in close partnership with schools, local authorities, and referring agencies.
We are flexible in our approach and are always happy to take the lead from the referring organisation when designing the most effective intervention package.
By combining evidence-based strategies, flexible delivery, and strong collaboration, we ensure that every young person receives the right support to achieve positive outcomes.
“Missing school can seriously undermine a child’s education and future life chances. It is imperative that we take a nuanced and sympathetic look at the reasons why absence has become a growing problem. Not only do children learn and socialise while in school, vulnerable youngsters are also kept out of harm’s way. We must look urgently at ways to reverse this damaging trend that appears to have worsened during the pandemic."
Robin Walker, Education Committee Chair
The most direct way to access our alternative education services in Hampshire is by completing our online referral form.
Providing as much detail as possible allows our team to develop a bespoke, individualised support plan tailored to your young person’s specific needs. This ensures we can deliver a focused programme that supports meaningful engagement, progress, and positive outcomes.
What to Include in Your Referral
To help us create the most effective provision, please include any relevant documentation, such as:
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EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan)
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Risk Assessments
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Any additional reports or supporting information
The more comprehensive the information provided, the better we can design a targeted tutoring and mentoring package that meets the needs of the young person.