What Can We Do When School’s Not Working? by Fisher, Abigail; Fisher, Naomi; Fricker, Eliza;

Short description:

This illustrated handbook explores how we can work with young people struggling with school attendance to maximise their chances of a positive and fulfilled life. It is essential reading for SENCOs, educational support workers, educational psychologists, senior leadership teams, and local authorities.

Long description:

An increasing number of children are struggling to attend school. The conventional approach prioritises a rapid return to their setting. For some children, this simply doesn’t work. They are stuck, not attending school but not learning out of school either. What happens then - and what can we do about it?  

This illustrated guide lifts the lid on the experiences of children and families who are struggling within the school system and explores how we can work with these young people to maximise their chances of a positive and fulfilled life.

The book encourages professionals to take a new perspective and to consider what can be done differently. It explores the ways in which difficulties with school are understood by children, parents, and professionals, and shows how things can go wrong (and right), using real-life examples from a range of settings. Chapters delve into common interventions and the impact these can have in practice, before introducing alternative approaches which have the child at the centre. The voices of young people are foregrounded throughout, shedding light on their struggles with attendance - including when placements have completely broken down – and, importantly, showing how they have gone onto success. Original illustrations are included to bring these ideas to life.

Placing authentic experiences at the core, this book offers a valuable insight into the lives of children and families when school has gone wrong and will leave you with new ideas as to how to turn things around. What Can We Do When School’s Not Working? is essential reading for professionals working with children who are struggling with school attendance, from SENCOs and educational support workers to educational psychologists, senior leadership teams, and local authorities.

“This book highlights the expertise too often missing from discussions around education – the expertise of professionals working in child development and psychology, the expertise of parents, and the expertise of children themselves. I do believe that these are frequently the missing pieces of the puzzle.” – Rebecca Brooks, Education Policy Advisor at Adoption UK

“It’s groundbreaking! Most books focus around CBT and other behaviourist techniques. This explores a range of different ideas centred around child development, trauma informed and relational practice. It’s also the only book I am aware of that uses such a range of different ‘ experts by lived experience’ in the form of children, parents and professionals. It’s really going to stand out as something new and different and, most importantly, it contains techniques that really work.” - Catrina Lowri, Neurodiversity Trainer and Consultant, Neuroteachers

“A complete departure from most of what is available in this subject area. I love it.” – Dr Lisa Cherry, Director, Trauma Informed Consultancy Services Ltd

“By now even the staunchest proponent of the 'tough love' approach to school refusal must have an inclination that sanctions are not solving the problem: the children are not coming back to school. This book explains why and offers alternative ways of identifying and tackling the difficulties experienced by all.” - Jo Grace, Education Consultant, Researcher and Founder of The Sensory Projects

“What Can We Do When School's Not Working? is a fantastic resource and an absolute must read for parents of children struggling with school as well as all professionals and policy makers working in Education and anyone working with children. Bringing together the different perspectives on the purpose of school, on behaviour and attendance and why school isn't working for so many, this much-needed book explains why behaviour and attendance are signs of an underlying, systemic problem, rather than the problem being located in children or their parents.  Written in an honest, easy-to-read, insightful way and brought to life by lived experiences, this book explains school trauma and burnout and how to support children with these experiences as well as drawing upon psychological research in order to consider how to produce psychologically healthy schools, where children are more likely to enjoy learning and thrive. It also offers alternative ways to support young people when they decide not to return to school and examples of those who have engaged young people with learning in different and more psychologically healthy ways.”  - Dr Hayley Smith, Clinical Psychologist and Systemic Family Psychotherapist

“This is a fantastic book that challenges key theories of education and highlights the fact that we have slipped into a rut of a system which is clearly not meeting so many children’s needs.  This book also challenges the status quo of the education system but in a sensible and non-emotional way.  It is not a negative, scaremongering or combative read, and offers sensible alternative approaches to education.  Filled with lovely illustrations and honest and enlightening quotes from young people and teens, this book will be highly relatable to parents, and I hope show educators that there is another way for young people to thrive.” – Laura Kerbey, Founder of PAST – Positive Assessments Education Support and Training

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1: Not Fine in School

Chapter 2: When School Meets Child

Chapter 3: Creating Psychologically Healthy School Environments

Chapter 3A: Three School Stories

Chapter 4: When Things Go Wrong

Chapter 5: What Can We Do Instead?

Chapter 6: Deciding Not to Go Back to School

Chapter 7: School Trauma and Burnout

Chapter 8: Working with Children who are Not Attending School

Chapter 9: One Step Removed: Indirect Work with Those Not Attending School

Chapter 10: What Happens Next? Stories of Hope after School Attendance Difficulties

Index