School attendance
Is attendance at the main education provider becoming stronger or more sustainable?
Outcomes & evidence
How pathways measures progress.
A transparent view of what is recorded, how school evidence is included, which research principles inform the programme and what pathways does not claim.
The central question
Is the pupil’s overall engagement with education becoming stronger?
Good attendance at pathways matters, but it is not enough on its own. The intended change must make sense across the pupil’s wider educational week.
Overall attendance
Is the pupil taking part in more of the educational programme agreed for them?
Participation
Are difficult lessons, transitions or parts of the day becoming more manageable?
Punctuality and routine
Are arrival and daily routines becoming more consistent?
How review works
Evidence is gathered at more than one moment and in more than one setting.
- 01Agree a baseline
School and pathways record the starting attendance picture, known barriers and individual targets.
- 02Notice weekly signals
Attendance, punctuality, participation, welfare information and useful strategies are recorded during the programme.
- 03Bring both settings together
School feedback shows whether progress is transferring beyond pathways.
- 04Review and plan
The team considers what changed, what did not and what should form part of the next plan.
Research basis
Principles, not promises.
Research on attendance difficulties points towards personalised plans, collaboration with families and schools, strong relationships, belonging, environmental change and carefully planned transitions. Causes and effective support differ between pupils.
pathways uses these principles to shape an educational programme. It does not describe them as proof that one programme will work for every pupil.
Sources behind this summary
Working together to improve school attendanceDepartment for Education guidanceReintegration to mainstream school from alternative provisionSystematic literature review, 2021Research is considered alongside professional judgement, pupil circumstances and the school’s own evidence.
What pathways can say
Measured, contextual and honest.
- The programme is structured around evidence-informed principles.
- Support is personalised and agreed collaboratively.
- Progress is monitored across attendance, engagement and agreed barriers.
- Clinical treatment sits outside the educational support offered by pathways.
What requires real outcome data
No invented proof.
- Attendance improvements must come from measured outcomes.
- Case studies need a clear baseline, programme length and consent.
- Published results need dates, pupil numbers, definitions, missing data and limitations.
- pathways should not claim guaranteed reintegration, therapy or treatment.
Results will be published with their context.
Until a sufficiently robust cohort has completed the programme, this page explains the measurement approach rather than presenting unsupported success figures.
Next step
Agree the intended outcome before a placement begins.
Schools can review commissioning responsibilities or begin a short referral.