Barriers to school PLUS

Product description

Barriers to School PLUS helps parents and carers of children aged 11–16 who struggle with school attendance, including those with ADHD, autism or SEND.

Building on the free guide, this practical PDF pack gives you 15 email templates, 11 conversation scripts, a trigger walk, a Secondary Adjustments Menu and printable tools. Know what to write to school, what support to ask for and how to prepare for meetings while keeping your child’s needs at the centre.

What does PLUS give you beyond the free guide?

The free guide helps you understand possible barriers, recognise patterns and take your first steps.

PLUS gives you more help with putting those steps into practice: what to write, what to ask for, how to prepare for difficult conversations and how to follow up afterwards.

You don’t need to read it from beginning to end. Start with the situation your family is facing today.

15 email templates you can adapt

Starting from a blank screen is hard when you’re already exhausted. These templates help you explain your concerns, make a clear request and keep a record.

They cover situations including:

• Raising early concerns and discussing possible additional needs.

• Explaining that your child cannot attend.

• Asking for changes to the school day.

• Recording what was agreed after a meeting or phone call.

• Discussing part-time timetables and a planned return.

• Responding to attendance letters and requests for medical evidence.

• Asking about suitable education when your child cannot attend.

• Requesting an EHC needs assessment and making a formal complaint.

Use them as a starting point, then add your child’s experience, dates and details.

11 scripts for the conversations that feel difficult

Knowing what you want to say can disappear the moment someone answers the phone.

The scripts help you prepare for calls and meetings with school, as well as conversations with your teenager. They give you words to draw on when you need to explain what is happening, ask a question or bring the discussion back to your child’s needs.

There is also support for those difficult mornings, when everyone is tired and the pressure is rising.

The trigger walk: look closely at what a return involves

“Come back on Tuesday” can leave a lot unanswered.

The trigger walk helps you think through the actual experience of returning: the journey, the entrance, the first adult, the room and what happens next. It helps you identify the points that may need changing before a return is attempted.

A Secondary Adjustments Menu

It can be difficult to ask for support when you’re unsure what might help.

The adjustments menu gives you practical ideas to discuss with school, linked to the parts of the secondary day your child finds difficult. Use it to make requests more specific and to explore changes together.

Printable tools to bring the pieces together

The pack includes tools to help you record patterns, organise information and prepare for conversations.

They help you move from “school is going badly” towards a clearer account of what is happening, what has been tried and what needs reviewing.

Support that keeps your teenager at the centre

PLUS also explores what may be happening behind the scenes in your teenager’s world, with scripts for talking together and a section written for your teenager.

The aim is to make space for their experience while helping you work with school. Their voice matters, even when they find it difficult to explain what is wrong.

Education law and guidance references relate to England.