Beyond attendance: Trauma-informed practice, educational access and readiness to learn

ALISON WATSON-BURGE, RACEMEADOW PRIMARY ACADEMY, UK Abstract Improving attendance is rightly a priority, yet physical presence should not be treated as evidence of meaningful access to learning. For students with complex social, emotional and relational needs, being on site, remaining regulated, participating and learning independently are related but distinct achievements. This perspective article argues that schools need more precise language when judging readiness and provision. Drawing on attachment-informed and trauma-informed practice, it considers how PACE (playfulness, acceptance, curiosity, empathy) can create the relational safety upon which educational access may depend. It also argues that early relational success should not be misread as readiness for greater academic demand. Trauma-informed practice may be necessary for access to learning, but it is not in itself evidence that such access is secure, sustainable or independent. The illusion of presence On any given mo