Education Welfare Service

We are an experienced team of professionals with over forty years’ experience and a flexible, proactive approach to improving pupil attendance and achievement. Our multi-disciplinary background includes experienced EWOs, family support and SENCO experience. Our extensive knowledge of the non-attendance legal process and a proven track record in delivering early interventions can help you increase school attendance and improve overall attainment.

We also have close working relationship with Local Authority Senior Officers responsible for statutory processes, enabling us to be responsive to school’s concerns regarding children missing education, penalty notices and taking legal action.

As part of our service we can also support you with an allocated Education Welfare Officer (EWO) to increase the attendance of your most vulnerable pupils. Our highly experienced EWOs are trained in safeguarding and can support and advise schools to fulfil their safeguarding requirements in respect of attendance, as well as providing strategic guidance on systems, policies and effective use of data.

  • There are five different levels of service aimed at different sizes of primary and secondary schools, with support tailored to meet your needs. We can also provide training and development sessions for parents, school staff and governors
  • You will have a dedicated EWO for all subscriptions, except our bronze package
  • Packages start from half a day at bronze level, up to one day a week at platinum level and are costed on booked days. We use discounted tiered rates which means you benefit from purchasing at the higher levels, giving you value for money
  • All subscribing schools can buy also additional support on a pay-as-you-go basis at a preferential rate.

We offer five levels of service tailored to your needs:

  • Bronze – Recommended for small primary schools. Includes one hour consultation to discuss complex cases and one referral to support with a specific case
  • Silver – Recommended for medium-sized primary schools. Includes 18 hours education welfare support with a dedicated EWO
  • Gold – Recommended for larger primary schools/schools with greater attendance issues and smaller secondary schools. Includes 60 hours EWS support per year with a dedicated EWO
  • Double Gold – Recommended for larger primary schools / schools with greater attendance issues, as well as smaller secondary schools. Includes 120 hours EWS support per year with a dedicated EWO
  • Platinum – Recommended for larger secondary schools. Includes 234 hours EWS support per year with a dedicated EWO.

Why choose us?

  • Our excellent team provides strategic advice, targeted casework support within the legislative framework, to help improve the attendance of even the most vulnerable pupils, which in turn improves their attainment, progress and outcomes
  • Our support can help you increase pupil attendance, reduce persistent absence and meet statutory responsibilities for attendance, as well as attendance targets
  • We can audit your attendance systems and policies and procedures and interpret your own and school comparative data. This enables us to focus support on reducing the attendance / attainment gap of vulnerable groups, or particular year groups in your school
  • We help increase staff awareness of the importance of attendance and punctuality, as well as helping to support home-school communication and relationships by acting as an advocate between school and parents
  • We can provide qualitative and quantitative evidence to support Ofsted inspections, helping you to focus on other responsibilities.

Testimonials

Associate Headteacher
Downend School

We’ve enjoyed working with our EWO; she provides expert guidance and support. More importantly she provides us with challenge and suggests solutions or signposts ideas. It has been a genuine partnership that has resulted in attendance data improving on every measure.

Headteacher
Kings Forest Primary School

Our EWO has been working with our school for a year and has made a significant impact, improving attendance overall and helping with some difficult cases. I would recommend the services of the South Gloucestershire/Integra EWO team without hesitation.

For further discussion and costs contact Donna Lugg at: Donna.lugg @southglos.gov.uk or call: 01454 863388.