Show Notes
In this episode of Headship After Hours, Paul Collin is joined by Jack Mallaby, assistant headteacher and SENCO, for an honest conversation about SEND, neurodiversity, emotionally based school avoidance and attendance.
Most heads aren't short on effort when it comes to attendance.
The harder truth: so much of it often rests on one or two people — and when that's the case, it never feels steady, however hard everyone works.
That's the work I do. I run a funded Senior Attendance & Leadership Resilience Check for headteachers and trust leaders in complex schools.
It starts with a short strategic assessment. For eligible schools, it opens into a full process: On-site school visit Detailed, school-specific report Follow-up strategy session Practical leadership tools for a clear 90-day plan
Typically valued at £1,000 — currently funded for eligible schools.
Apply here → https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/
Jack reflects on his own experiences of ADHD and dyslexia, his journey from mainstream education into specialist provision, and why inclusion must sit at the centre of school culture rather than being treated as an additional intervention. Together, they explore why many neurodiverse pupils experience anxiety around school, how educational trauma can shape attendance, and why relationships with young people and families are essential when attendance becomes fragile. This episode discusses: SEND leadership in mainstream and specialist schools Emotionally based school avoidance Neurodiversity, anxiety and attendance Why relational practice matters The importance of primary-to-secondary transition Child-centred attendance strategies Preparing young people for adulthood Why schools should adapt systems around pupils Jack’s central message is clear: It should not be about making young people fit the system. It should be about making the system work for them.
00:00 – Educational Trauma and School Avoidance 01:21 – Introducing Jack Mallaby 02:20 – Jack’s Role in Specialist SEND Provision 03:12 – Growing Up With ADHD and Dyslexia 05:00 – Why Jack Moved Into SEND Leadership 07:05 – Leaving Mainstream for Specialist Education 08:10 – Inclusion as Culture, Not a Bolt-On 09:28 – Relationships and Consistency in Specialist Schools 12:07 – What Is Emotionally Based School Avoidance? 12:53 – Educational Trauma and Distrust 13:26 – How COVID Affected Neurodiverse Learners 14:25 – Why Attendance Systems Respond Too Late 15:31 – Identify, Stabilise and Restore Attendance 16:40 – Relationships With Pupils and Families 17:37 – Supporting Anxiety Without Labelling the Child 18:50 – Preparing Neurodiverse Pupils for Adulthood 20:08 – Compassion, Consistency and Capacity 21:34 – What Schools Still Get Wrong 22:36 – Primary-to-Secondary Transition 25:03 – Why One Transition Day Is Not Enough 27:04 – Supporting Complex Attendance Cases 27:41 – A Child-Centred Attendance Strategy 29:55 – Rethinking Educational Success 33:41 – Jack’s Advice for School Leaders 34:00 – Make the System Work for the Child
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