Checklist for Attendance Tracking and Support (CATS)

We understand that children and young people may occasionally miss school for various reasons. Sometimes this is related to their physical health, their mental well-being, or a range of other school / family related factors.

The Checklist for Attendance Tracking and Support (CATS) is from Dr Jerricah Holder's, EBSA Horizons, online course. It is a collaborative tool developed in partnership with parents and schools and serves as a correspondence template for schools to efficiently explore the reasons behind student absenteeism. By gathering essential data, CATS enables schools to provide tailored support to address the root causes of absenteeism effectively. Moreover, it ensures that the process is supportive for families, empowering them to share their perspectives and work together to create strategies that will help their child feel more at ease and confident in school.

The primary goal is to create a safe and supportive school community where children can thrive. To achieve this, we want to support them through a compassionate and child-centred approach; one where we understand what may make attending school more or less challenging.

We hope this template will support your practice in both affecting positive change for CYP and supporting attendance.

Download the Checklist for Attendance Tracking and Support (CATS) PDF

Download the Checklist for Attendance Tracking and Support (CATS) Editable Word Document 

FOR SCHOOLS:

EBSA Horizons School Staff Training

EBSA Horizons School Training is a comprehensive CPD course for School Staff, which develops understanding and skills (alongside a lot of resources) to support children and young people experiencing difficulties attending school. This course has recently been updated with a new chapter.

Find out more about EBSA Horizons School Training here and register your interest to receive 3 FREE resources from this course.

Family Horizons: Nurturing School Engagement and Wellbeing

Family Horizons offers parents and carers on-demand access to practical strategies, knowledge, and tools across five carefully structured chapters. From understanding attendance challenges to supporting anxiety and promoting family wellbeing, the course brings together professional expertise with real family experiences.

Find out more about Family Horizons here.

FOR PROFESSIONALS:

EBSA Horizons Professionals CPD

EBSA Horizons is a comprehensive CPD course for EPs and other professionals who support schools, which develops understanding and skills (alongside a lot of resources) to support children and young people experiencing difficulties attending school. This course has been recently updated with new chapters.

Find out more about EBSA Horizons here and register your interest to receive 3 FREE resources from this course.

FOR LOCAL AUTHORITIES & MATS:

EBSA Horizons Partnership Framework

A Local Authority wide Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) initiative to improve attendance and wellbeing in schools. 

Providing training and resources for all LA professionals, school staff and parents/carers.

Find out more about the EBSA Horizons Partnership Framework here.