Richard Crawshaw
Advisor, Speaker on School Refusal, Engagement, and Attendance
School Engagement & Attendance Specialist | Education Leader | Student Re-engagement Strategist
With more than 25 years of experience in education, Richard is internationally recognised for helping schools address one of education’s most complex challenges—student disengagement, school refusal, and chronic attendance issues.
As founder of Can’t Face School, Richard has developed evidence-informed frameworks that support schools, families, and young people to rebuild engagement, improve attendance, and create sustainable pathways back into education. Working with schools around the world, this work combines strategic whole-school planning with highly individualised support for students experiencing barriers to learning.
Drawing on extensive leadership experience as a classroom teacher, Assistant Principal, Regional School Improvement Manager, and leader of student re-engagement programs, [Name] advises school systems on developing policies, procedures, and cultures that strengthen attendance while prioritising student wellbeing.
Having worked across Australia, Asia, the United Kingdom, and Europe, Richard brings a global perspective to education reform and understands the complex relationship between mental health, school culture, belonging, and engagement. Their approach recognises that attendance is rarely the problem itself—it is often the visible outcome of deeper challenges that require coordinated, compassionate, and evidence-based responses.
A scholarship graduate of the University of Melbourne with a Master’s degree in Instructional Leadership, Richard is committed to helping schools create environments where every student feels safe, supported, and able to reconnect with learning.