Attendance Matters was founded in 2014 in response to schools asking for help to address individual attendance needs.

We do this by:

• Promoting the importance of good attendance through effective links with parents and pupils, including parent meetings, letters, newsletters, and training courses.
• Investigating the causes of poor attendance through formal and informal casework, including home visits.
• Supporting parents to meet their statutory responsibilities.
• Reducing absence levels through a strategic approach.
• Undertaking all necessary investigations and assessments prior to enforcement proceedings.
• Reviewing and updating school policies and procedures.
• Devising and delivering customised one-to-one and group training packages.

The company is headed by Liz Lowther, an experienced education welfare officer who, prior to setting up the company, led a local authority education welfare team.

In 2015, Denise Chesman joined Attendance Matters having spent more than 20 years in primary schools as a teacher, SENCO and deputy head.

Leander Swinburne is the most recent addition to the team. She has significant experience as an education welfare officer and in youth engagement roles.

The satisfaction of our clients is fundamental to the success of our business.

Parent Testimonial

Parent of Year 11 boy: “I would just like to say thanks for your help and support when my son wasn’t attending or doing well at school.

“You didn’t go at him all guns blazing like maybe some would in your position. You tried to support and I think that really helped get him back on track.

“He is happy with his GCSEs and he got the results needed to get him on the A-levels he wanted to do.

“He got a 6 in maths and English and the rest mostly 5s. Thanks again for your help in getting through the last year.”

School Testimonials

We are grateful to have Attendance Matters supporting our outstanding secondary academy. While Liz does a sterling job with our attendance, she also provides invaluable, cost effective support for wider education welfare issues. She is a much appreciated member of the team and I’m delighted to recommend her services.”

Christine Gunn, Vice Principal, Healing School – A Science Academy, Grimsby.

“Getting Attendance Matters on board has been really important. Denise is a team player whose experience has proved invaluable. Everything is dealt with in an efficient, friendly manner. She has worked with some difficult cases that have had positive outcomes for the academy and pupils involved. I have no hesitation recommending its services.”

Jayne Curtis, Woodlands Primary Academy.

“Our Academy has engaged with the services that Liz Lowther has offered through Attendance Matters since she formed the business, and in that time, we have been constantly very impressed and satisfied with the quality of the provision. Liz has enormous experience in this field, and uses this to inform and shape her work. She is reactive to our needs, very effective in offering us with reliable advice, as well as engaging with families to help find solutions to any issues we may encounter. We could not recommend her highly enough.”

Rob Beel, Principal, Waltham Leas Primary Academy.

We are happy to provide further testimonials from schools we support.