Living by Your Own Advice

From Fog to Footprints: Guiding Schools Through Legal Intervention

05 July 2025

Fliss Falconer

“It’s like starting a journey with a well-marked map versus walking blindly for a few miles and then asking if you're on track.”—Julie Zhuo, The Making of a Manager (2019)

How many times did I encourage pupils to plan before putting pen to paper? How many times did I play Mr Davis’ The Power of Y - a YouTube video now sadly lost to time - to show the value of brainstorming, prioritising, and curating ideas until only the ones that sparkled with purpose remained? And how many times did I ask them to proofread?

Why? Because I was told - countless times myself - to read the question and answer the question.

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It’s ironic, really. I’m notorious for missing details, despite being an ex-English teacher with strong opinions on the Oxford comma. But it’s that exact weakness that makes me a better guide: I’ve felt the frustration, I’ve found the tools to navigate it, and I want to share what I know. (See, an Oxford comma, used intentionally.)

January Blues

January 2023. A bleak month, I’m told. I can’t actually recall it, but let’s assume the fog was thick. What I do remember clearly is a productive meeting with our legal team, where I asked for support in simplifying what schools needed to do to submit successful legal files.

As the bridge between schools and the legal team, I wanted an approach that was clear, obvious, and achievable - not something that felt like an epic feat of endurance. A resource had been made, and a meeting held the previous March. But if you missed March, you missed the memo.

I won’t say there was nothing in place - there was. What I wanted was a path that began at step one and ended with a metaphorical flag waving at the summit. A visible journey. A well-marked map.

Collaboration or plagiarism?

In my early days in the role, I found an infogram created by a brilliant colleague, now sadly missed. It gave me insight into the attendance guidance of the time. Missing the thrill of making lockdown training videos on English literature texts, I reworked the infogram into an A4 sheet - mostly blue columns - outlining support schools could explore before considering legal action.

Steps before initiating legal intervention became ‘Steps’ by the time I attended my first Attendance Network Meeting. I asked roughly 100 attendance officers and leaders to share the methods they used to encourage attendance. I thanked them and told them how, through the ripple effect, their ideas would help all Gloucestershire schools.

It was something I did instinctively in school, too. Each year, I’d collect brainstorming ideas from one cohort, refine and share them with the next - onwards and upwards. I’ve been told I needn’t stress so much about transparency. Apparently, I’m wildly enthusiastic when crediting others.

In the spirit of Support First, From First Signs to Legal Intervention was born.

You can tell I designed it - it’s full of rainbows and stars. If I could coat it in biodegradable glitter, you know I would. It’s written in pupil- and parent-friendly language and used to guide conversations about every option before legal steps are taken.

Finding the footholds and clearing the fog

Thanks to the tools and rules shared by the legal team, I began mapping the pathway to legal intervention. I wanted it to be winding but accessible - free of potholes and pitfalls. Training videos were created. Suddenly, feedback shifted: the fog was lifting, and schools were navigating with clarity.

Before, some had found the mountain too treacherous to scale. Now, some were striking out, discovering the marked footholds and making progress. Have the team and I become the Tenzing Norgay of legal intervention?

Cliff edges and cautious climbing

“In 1947, Norgay participated in an unsuccessful summit attempt of Everest.”- Wikipedia, Tenzing Norgay. Retrieved July 5, 2025

Well, that makes me feel better. Sorry, Norgay.

There were setbacks. Being called “ridiculous” still stings. But this was a meeting of education and law - not yet legislated or nationally consistent. Eventually, a few hardy schools and our team reached the summit.

I want to make this crystal clear: prosecuting is not something we ever want. It must always be a last resort. When we say that every other route must be exhausted—we mean it.

Exhausted, we reached the top. And with the pegs now in place, other schools can follow. My next role? Cartographer.

Self-sufficient, not self-reliant

This month, I delighted in announcing the availability of resources on the Bulletin Board: an AI-assisted training video, exemplar witness statements with exhibits, and a practical checklist.

The goal? To smooth the rocky mountainside into something resembling a climbable path. It’s not a jolly day out, but it’s a navigable journey—clear, supported, and regularly signposted. Schools can now complete their paperwork independently, swiftly, and most importantly, confidently.

Not going to lie - I’m a little chuffed.

Preparing for the journey ahead

The map is drawn. The signposts are in place. And as with all great journeys, preparation is everything.

From next week, I’ll be hosting sessions to support schools as they get ready. I’ll pose open-ended questions to prompt self-assessment of their attendance procedures. Most won’t need me - we have Scout- and Girl Guide-like Attendance Champions ready to lead the charge for academic year 2025–2026.

But for anyone who does need me, I’ll gladly step in as Guide. Peers who've walked the path before are on hand to lend their wisdom too.

I’m excited. The journey is ahead—and the flag at the summit is already waving.