The Parent Club School Attendance Campaign Is Back – Here's What You Need

Last year's Parent Club School Attendance Campaign, which ran for four weeks in October 2025, exceeded all of its targets, with parents and carers saying the content strongly resonated with them. 

Building on the success of the campaign, we're pleased to be sharing the existing assets again and would appreciate your continued support in helping us reach families. Resources include case study films featuring a parent and a young person with lived experience of attendance challenges, expert-led videos with teachers and advice from an educational psychologist, social media assets and copy, our hero film, and posters, including translated versions.

As a reminder, school absenteeism remains a significant challenge across Scotland. In 2024/25, 28.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of the school year. While this is an improvement on 2023/24, absenteeism continues to impact learning, wellbeing, and attainment. 

Developed in response to insight from parents and carers the campaign recognises that many families face complex challenges, from mental health and social pressures to questions about the value of education. Parents told us they often feel blamed or isolated; this campaign focuses on understanding, support, and practical help.  

Additional Assets Available 

New resources include: 

• Teacher – Catherine Ferguson: Deputy Head Teacher Catherine Ferguson explains that supporting school attendance starts with building strong relationships with children and parents. 
• Parent – Heidi: After feeling helpless when her child couldn’t attend school, Heidi asked the school for help and encourages other parents to speak up and seek support. 
• Student – Kelsey: After time off school due to illness, Kelsey returned to school with support and encourages others to talk to someone at school they trust. 

Levenmouth School Social Films

• Teacher Ewan Henderson offers advice to parents whose child may be struggling to attend school and explains how small steps can make a big difference.
• Guidance Teacher Victoria Nicoll shares ideas on how schools can work with parents of children who have been unable to attend school for some time but are keen to return. 

Top Tip social posts: How parents can talk to their child when school doesn’t feel important to them. 

All other campaign assets can be found via the SG Communications Resource Centre - School Attendance 

Please continue to help 

• Share campaign assets across your channels 
• Include editorial copy in newsletters or blogs 
• Encourage families in your networks to visit the Parent Club website 
• Follow and share Parent Club content on Instagram and Facebook 
• Add the following hashtags to your School Attendance comms: #School Support, #ScotlandParents, and #YouAreNotAlone 

Thank you for your continued support, and we would welcome your help in amplifying these resources through your channels.