Judith is Project Manager for three projects in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Group in the School of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow:
ABSAIL is funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government and aims to explore the management and impact of emotionally-based school non-attendance within the Scottish context.
SHINE aims to support schools in addressing their health and wellbeing needs by using a data-driven, systems-level approach to health improvement.
HBSC is a World Health Organisation (WHO) cross-national study which aims to increase our understanding of young people’s health and wellbeing, health behaviours and social context. The first study was conducted in Scotland in 1990 and it has been repeated every 4 years since then, providing a unique insight into how health and health behaviours have changed over the last 30+ years. HBSC involves 50 countries across Europe and North America and therefore allows us to see how young people in Scotland are doing compared with young people in other countries.
A former Depute Headteacher with 25 years teaching experience, Dawn is now the Manager of the Schools Health and Wellbeing Improvement Research Network (SHINE) working within Mental Health and Wellbeing at the School of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow. The SHINE network aims to support Scottish schools in addressing their health and wellbeing needs, with a focus on mental health, by using a data-driven, systems-level approach to health improvement. Dawn brings schools together with health researchers across a range of online and in-person activities to facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange around the use of health data in schools. In response to an increased national focus on attendance in the Scottish National Improvement Framework since 2024 (SI118), SHINE contributed to the Addressing Barriers to School Attendance to Improve Long-term outcomes (ABSAIL) project funded by the Chief Scientist Office. The project explored the national context around the provision for and recording of emotionally based school non-attendance (EBSNA), alongside case studies capturing the perspectives and experiences of families and professionals.
Information in the menus below was updated in October 2026. To contribute information that may be of interest to others in your country, please contact your country’s hosts: Judith Brown (judith.brown@glasgow.ac.uk) or Dawn Haughton (dawn.haughton@glasgow.ac.uk).
Extended school absence is a growing concern across the UK and has significant implications for the health and wellbeing of children and families affected. In the academic year 2024/25, approximately 28.5% of pupils registered for school in Scotland were persistently absent (missing more than 10% of school) during the school year. In 2025/26, all 32 Scottish Local Authorities included attendance as a key stretch aim on their improvement plan for health and wellbeing. Scotland takes a safeguarding approach to attendance not a punitive nor criminal justice approach.
All public schools, with support from the education authority and the Scottish Government have a responsibility to promote and support good attendance. Education authorities support the recording and management of absence with policy and practice underpinned by National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland. Attendance policies reflect a multi-agency approach to supporting attendance in line with GIRFEC legislation to include a staged intervention model, self-evaluation and improvement methodologies linked to the UNCRC child rights legislation.
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Resources for schools, professionals and/or families that support school attendance
