What our clients are saying about us
“We have worked with TEAM EWS service for many years. They are professional, dedicated and a valued member of our school. We have found the EWO to be an exceptionally supportive person for the whole school and in particular the Attendance team and Pastoral Managers. They support the school with safeguarding home visits for our more vulnerable school refusers. The relationships that they have built with our families within the community is priceless, together with how they have improved attendance and therefore positive future life chances for many of our students. They have a fantastic work ethic and are willing to go the extra mile. They provide regular detailed data which is so instrumental when school carry out essential audits and have Ofsted visits.”
Bexhill Academy, East Sussex
“It is a pleasure working with our EWO, she has fitted into St Mary’s really well. Our EWO has a personable, but firm approach when working with parents and students to ensure they understand their obligations and responsibilities. She has a wealth of knowledge and has supported our pupils to resolve various difficulties during her time here.”
St Mary’s RC Senior School, Croydon
“I want to say a massive thank you for the support our EWO has given the school and has always been able to provide the right answers and advice. Her support has been nothing short of incredible! Looking forward to continuing working with our EWO!!!!”
Beckmead Park, Croydon
“Team EWS provide stress-free support to rapidly improve pupil attendance. Knowledgeable practitioners work closely with us to case-work our most complex attendance cases, offering both a level of support to families but also significant challenge about their poor attendance and a no-excuses culture. Practitioners demonstrate excellent communication and utilise school systems to ensure everyone is well informed about the reasons for poor attendance and the often creative solutions. Our EWO is an invaluable member of team and her impact is hugely evident on our persistently absent pupils!”
The Baird Academy, Hastings
“Team EWS has been great in supporting Goosewell school with their whole school attendance, it has given us the tools that we require to tackle attendance across the school we feel that we can now better manage and implement our processes.”
Goosewell Primary School, Plymouth
“Our EWO has worked at South Norwood Primary School for a number of years. She is an asset to the team. She has built great relationships with families to support them to improve attendance or help families understand that relocating to a school closer to home would enable them to be better supported. Our EWO is a good listener and shows empathy to a families situation giving advice and strategies, however she also knows when to move to the next stage, issue a fine, penalty notice or move to court action. During Ofsted January 2023 our efforts in raising attendance were highly praised because of the team we have, including our EWO.”
South Norwood Primary, Croydon
“Our EWO has worked closely with our school community for 2 years and has supported a number of families from both our Primary and Secondary sites. She has established good relationships with the school team and takes the time to listen attentively to concerns, offering valuable insights and practical solutions. There has been an overall improvement in our attendance and she has been able to support many of our vulnerable students and families very effectively. Her continued work ensures we can support our persistent absentees and see a reduction in school refusal.”
Chaffinch Brook, Croydon
“There has been a real improvement in attendance with many of the children Beth has worked with. She meets regularly with the parents to support their needs to enable to get their child into school. She has communicated positively with parents so they feel supported by her.”
Stoke Damerel Primary School, Plymouth
“Kuhenara is professional, approachable and personable. She provides invaluable support to our academy and her input and advice provides a safety net to ensure that every pupil’s case is treated on an individual basis.”
Oasis Academy, Putney
“TEAM EWS has provided our Education Welfare Service since January 2015. Our allocated EWO comes to The Minster Junior School every other week, on alternate weeks, he attends The Minster Nursery & Infant School. This allows him to have full knowledge of families with children in both schools. He works closely with our Office Supervisor. He meets with parents to discuss reasons for poor attendance and agrees targets for improvement. He follows up with all these families, offering support but also ensuring that they understand the importance of good attendance and punctuality. This he does relentlessly. His reports and data analysis are concise and are passed to the schools Leadership Team and the Governing Body so that they can carry out their statutory duties with regard to safeguarding and attendance figures, particularly those of Pupil Premium children. We are very happy with the service we receive and can highly recommend TEAM EWS.”
The Minster Junior, Nursery and Infant Schools, Croydon
“We have worked with Team EWS for a few years, and they are extremely professional, work to deadlines and provide us exactly the support we need to make sure our attendance practice is effective. Team EWS provide us with the opportunity to build relationships with our parents, while providing expert advice to our leadership and attendance officer that allows us to make sure that cases are followed through, even when they are complex. Team EWS gets the job done. I would recommend Team EWS to schools as a very valuable service.”
Catholic Umbrella Trust
“Since employing TEAM EWS the school’s attendance has increased significantly and continues to do so. Our designated Education Welfare Officer has worked extensively with a range of families, various Learning Co-ordinators and also with the Senior Leadership Team. The challenge that is used is extremely rigorous but also very supportive. We have gained hugely from this excellent service.”
Carshalton Boys Sports College, Sutton
“We have recently started working with TEAM EWS and this has been a wonderful experience. Since our EWO has started to monitor our attendance there has been a measurable improvement. She politely, but resolutely, tackles those difficult issues of persistent poor attendance and champions the right of the child to be in school. She does this with tact and diplomacy and backs it up with knowledge of the correct procedures where phone calls and letters do not achieve the desired result. I cannot recommend their service highly enough.”
Park Hill Junior School, Croydon
“Inspector praised the outstanding work carried out by our EWO to develop a range of highly effective strategies to promote improved attendance. Our termly reports are extremely valuable to our management team. An all-round service provision – our attendance has never been so high!”
Monks Orchard Primary School & Nursery, Croydon
“TEAM EWS has provided a highly valued, professional skilled service since our school opened in 2012. Opening a school with only a reception cohort meant that attendance quickly became an issue for the school. These issues were exacerbated by the fact that the cohort were travelling to school from all over the borough. Our assigned EWO ‘hit the ground running’ and made improvements in our attendance immediately. Term on term these improvements have continued and the school community is now totally clear on the high expectations we have for attendance and the reasons why. These improvements are truly remarkable given our school still having a very young cohort with a high proportion of our pupils not living locally to the school. Attendance is such a big issue for schools; any measures put in place need to have a swift impact which in turn positively impacts on achievement. TEAM EWS knows what works practically and their experience and skill at building relationships with families who need support really is impressive. I can unreservedly recommend their service.”
REAch2 Academy, Croydon
“Our EWO has had a very positive impact in many aspects of school life, not in the least helping to improve our school attendance so that is in line with national average. Their direct and robust yet personal approach has supported many of our vulnerable and hard to reach families so that they understand the importance of good attendance, how to achieve this and the positive impact it has on their child`s education. TEAM EWS also support these families by signposting to receive help from external agencies in the hope that improved attendance is sustained. This is then closely monitored by TEAM EWS.”
Oasis Ryelands Primary School & Nursery
“Our TEAM EWS, Education Welfare Officer, is diligent, highly organised and relentlessly pro-active in following up attendance and working with her caseload of students which has impacted very positively on the attendance figures for our school. She is extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of her role and has expertise in dealing with parents of high needs children. She works efficiently dividing her time between parental meetings, home visits and administration to ensure that her time is maximised. She has a firm but friendly approach to addressing barriers with parents and pupils to ensure good attendance and as a result, the attendance of some of our persistent absentees has improved dramatically. Our EWO works closely with our attendance team, and the service that she provides supports and adds rigour to our processes. She goes above and beyond to support our pupils, families and staff. I don’t know what we would do without her!”
West Thornton Primary Academy, Croydon
“We have been working with Team EWS for over a year and have managed to establish robust systems to improve attendance at South Bank University Academy. Our EWO is extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of her role and safeguarding. She has established excellent relationships with staff and parents in the school and forged strong links with the Local Authority Inclusion Team to ensure our most challenging cases presented to the panel for discussion. These meetings have enabled the school to reduce the number of persistent absence cases and ensure that our most vulnerable pupils are in school.”
South Bank University Academy, Southwark
“Our EWO is an incredibly efficient and impactful officer. She has worked exceptionally hard with a large number of our families. She builds great relationships with the families and for many has worked to become a key professional supporting the work that the school does. In a number of cases, Our EWO has managed to forge a relationship that the school has not managed to achieve and has helped improve attendance as well as life chances for a number of students..”
Oasis Academy, Coulsdon
“TEAM Education Welfare Services have made a huge difference to our school. Our EWO’s methodical and collaborative approach to working with colleagues and parents has resulted in our attendance now being in line with the national averages, and amongst the highest in our partnership. The number of individuals being persistently absent has reduced drastically. The number of families needing support has also significantly reduced. Our officer works incredibly hard. She also works incredibly well with school based leaders and colleagues responsible for attendance, working with us to improve our systems and our knowledge of attendance processes and procedures. She is clear and informative when working with families as well as caring and empathetic.”
West Thornton Primary Academy – Canterbury Road
“We’ve received excellent support in our work to drive improvements in attendance from team EWS, who take the time to understand both our needs, approach and the context of the community that we work with. Our EWO is highly professional and proactive, taking the time to get to know children and families in order to build the relationships needed to improve attendance. They work effectively with our own attendance team in monitoring student attendance and identifying those in need to further engagement, communicating effectively with external organisations to build a collaborative response. They have the interests of children and families at heart, and understand the critical importance that attendance has in improving educational outcomes, building better futures, and driving social mobility.”
City of London Academy, Southwark
“The EWS provides schools with additional, outside, support that adds another layer when addressing barriers for attendance. It helps schools that parents see a new face, that is not school staff, supporting issues of attendance giving this crucial aspect of school life the high profile and importance it needs.”
Stuart Road Primary, Plymouth
“Our EWO has built up great relationships with both staff in our Academy and the families that she works with. She has been an integral part of improvement in attendance here at the Academy. She has helped to bring the level of attendance up this year prioritising the Academy and has also been a large part of the team bringing PA figures down. Our EWO always communicates with staff thoroughly and logs information in the correct place.”
St. Leonards Academy, East Sussex
“We are delighted to be working with Team EWS. We have build an excellent rapport with our lead EWO and can call on him for support and assistance with a range of issues surrounding attendance, welfare and well being. Our lead is proactive in arranging visits and working with parents. He is aware of the legislation and maintains a good overview of the schools overall attendance figures. When we have had OFSTED inspections he has been able to provide us with useful and comparative reports. He works with the school to monitor vulnerable groups and is always willing to go the extra mile. We are delighted with the service we get. Many thanks.”
The Federation of St Joseph’s Catholic, Junior, Infant and Nursery Schools, London
“Since the appointment of TEAM EWS to the school, we have enjoyed a significant increase in our levels of attendance, with a decrease in our PA levels. Our EWO, although only in school a day a week, is an integral part of our team and is totally committed to her role as a part of whole school improvement. Our EWO’s liaison with parents is excellent and her interpersonal skills are strong. She is working closely with our Families First Co-ordinator, who has undertaken a monitoring role during the days that our EWO is not in school. I am completely happy with the support from TEAM EWS, their professionalism is of the highest level and their rates are competitive; it is worth every penny.”
The South Norwood Academy, Croydon
“TEAM EWS provides a highly professional educational welfare support and consultancy service to the school. They go above and beyond and nothing is too much trouble. As a result of this service, our school attendance average has improved and a number of families have been supported and advised on attendance issues. TEAM EWS are proactive in helping the school to continuously move forward. This service has complemented the actions the school already takes to promote and maintain good attendance. This is a first class service from a provider with extensive knowledge and understanding of attendance and safeguarding systems in schools. TEAM EWS combine professionalism with a friendly and supportive approach. I would recommend them to any school, without reservation.”
Park Hill Infants School, Croydon
“Our pursuit of excellent attendance has been effectively supported by Team EWS’s engaging manner with parents; professional attitude to targeting PA; personalised advice tailored to our community’s needs and rapid response to safeguarding our children.”
Smitham Primary School, Coulsdon
“I would have no doubt in recommending TEAM EWS as they deliver an ‘Outstanding’ Service. They are pro-active in their role and go out of their way to form positive and professional relationships with the whole school community, which ensures that our attendance always stays above the National Average for Primary Schools.”
Oasis Academy:Shirley Park, Croydon
“We have been really impressed with the hard work and professionalism since starting our partnership with TEAM EWS, they combine an outstanding knowledge of all attendance related matters with innovative strategies for improvement. We are confident that we will witness continued improvement in our whole school attendance figure.”
Causeway School, East Sussex
“TEAM EWS deliver an excellent service. Our attendance has improved considerably and our PA children have greatly reduced. They have been instrumental in raising awareness of good attendance across the whole school with their innovative ideas. The service is consistent, fair, robust and very effective. Our EWO is dedicated to her role within the school and has an extensive knowledge of all attendance related legislation. The approach is professional, supportive and thorough. I would have no hesitation in recommending TEAM EWS as a ‘first class’ provider of Education Welfare Services.”
Aerodrome Primary Academy, Croydon
“Since our partnership began we have found Team EWS to be extremely supportive and a perfect addition to the Synaptic Trust team. They have extensive knowledge and experience with a wealth of resources and ideas at their fingertips to help raise and maintain attendance. They deliver a first class service.”
Synaptic Trust, Croydon
What our clients are saying about our Covid Support
“During the lockdown period, the service provided by Team Education Welfare Service was nothing short of excellent. As a school, we have been pleased that you were able to provide us with timely releases from the government through the DfE, advise us on the requisite coding for our children’s attendance, guide us as we prepared for the wider opening of our school to year 6 children in addition to those in vulnerable situations, maintain contact with specific parents throughout the pandemic, advise us on updated CME guidance and referrals, which was crucial during a time when we needed to ensure, more than ever before, that our children were safe.”
The Minster Junior School, Croydon
“It has been really good to have your constant support throughout this pandemic, you have been so easy to contact and your response has always been so swift. I have worked with quite a few EWOs over the years, but I find you so much more approachable and so easy to work alongside.”
St Mary’s Roman Catholic Junior School, Croydon
“On behalf of the students, the school and parents, I want to thank you all for the work you have put in over the last two terms in such challenging circumstances. It’s been amazing to see your dedication, creativity, resilience and optimism, as you’ve continued to support our community whilst also juggling family commitments, new technologies and our own worries, during this extraordinary time.”
The BRIT School, Croydon
“I have been pleased with the service from your team and I am grateful that you have adapted your practice flexibly to meet the needs of our current challenges. Your EWO’s have championed our values and demonstrated that high quality casework delivers results! Thank you for your support, it has been great working with TEAM EWS.”
Brighton Academies Trust
“I am always impressed by both your care and dedication to making a difference to the life chances of our children.”
DOE, Pioneer Trust
“At St Mary’s we have worked with our Education Welfare Officer and he has been instrumental in guaranteeing good communications generally and with one vulnerable family in particular. The extra time and care invested by him has been very important in a safeguarding issue and has allowed the school team to be reassured of the welfare of a family. We are grateful for the ongoing support.”
St Mary’s Roman Catholic Infant School, Croydon
“Our EWO has worked non-stop this term with our toughest cases, weekly meetings with parents, home visits, not to mention the list of students I give her and keep adding to weekly! It’s a long process but it does make a difference and when going over the cases, we have seen a % rise in so many of them which shows the constant contact or simply a cause for concern letter is working. Thank you again for all your hard work drumming in attendance to our students and supporting us, it is a team effort and it really helps, even just a conversation with a mentee, your support is appreciated as always.”
Oasis Academy Coulsdon
“Just to say thank you so much for all your hard work with the home visits, it has clearly had a huge impact (and been a massive help to us) for our most vulnerable students. On a personal and professional level, I think the support you have offered the school during lockdown and since has been exceptional. Your response to the evolving guidance and the extensive communication has been reassuring and much welcomed. Yesterday our EWO returned to school and the impact, working alongside our attendance team, has been impressive.”
The Minster Junior School, Croydon
“Thank you for all the support you have provided throughout the pandemic, this has been something that we have not experienced before. It is good to know that you are always on hand if and when we require any support – even on a bank holiday, thank you for that. We have really appreciated the support that we have received, checking on children that we have not been able to be in contact with. Thank you for all the advice and guidance.”
West Thornton Primary School, Inspire Partnership
“Our EWO liaises well with family support at school with regards to students of concern. Communication is efficient and consistent between the EWO, school/parents and carers. He engages well with families, both in terms of written and face to face communication, helping parents to understand concerns and look at solutions/steps to address or improve attendance. He is friendly and supportive whilst being clear and firm when needed. He works well with families both directly and in giving appropriate advice to be used with difficult conversations that need to be had with parents. He is knowledgeable and is willing to share his expertise with other professionals.”
Bensham Manor School, Croydon
“I really wanted to say that our EWO has been absolutely fantastic with our families, she has shown determination, support and has made us look like ‘Kings’ within the Oasis family due to the work she has done on attendance for us. She has been welcomed by all that work with her and she is just simply an all-rounder in every aspect of her work. She is a credit to her profession and I, as well as my team here at Oasis SP are so grateful to have her on board. Thanks for introducing her to us, we love her here.”
Oasis Shirley Park. Senior Phase
“TEAM EWS have allocated our EWO for several years at Virgo Fidelis Senior Convent School. There is only one word to describe her work in our school, and that is excellent. Since coming into the school, she has helped facilitate improved absence procedures so that student attendance is in line with and above national average, whilst she has devised, developed and implemented new systems and protocols to reduce persistent absence. During lockdown she supported the school to ensure the vulnerable attended online and she followed up all referrals methodically to secure positive outcomes. She has written regular weekly reports for the Headteacher and she has met with the Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion and Attendance Officer every Tuesday to monitor and review all their work and effectiveness. Given that outcomes, behaviour and confidence of students has significantly improved it is clear that her work has been successful. Our EWO is professional, intelligent and discerning and she genuinely cares about the students. This makes her an ideal EWO for any educational establishment. In summary, she has been a valuable and precious asset both in human terms and in relation to enabling improvement.”
Virgo Fidelis Convent School, London SE19