Biting Wasn’t A Disaster, After All

I recently found myself in Daylesford, spending time with my old school friends, Susan and Tina—those fabulous souls I first met back in 1981, when we started year 7.

Now, as we all know, there’s no better way to feel simultaneously nostalgic and slightly out of your depth than by going horse riding after decades of not doing much of it.

So, there we were, ready to saddle up, and I got matched with a horse named Jordan.

Naturally, I asked the strapper, “What’s Jordan like?”

“He’s really good,” the strapper assured me, “he just gets a bit bossy with the other horses.”

“Oh, right,” I nodded, “What does ‘bossy’ mean?”

“Well, he tries to bite the other horses, but he’s fine,” the strapper replied, as if he’d just told me Jordan liked to snack on treacle-dipped carrots.

I paused, considering my life choices and thinking to myself: This. Is. Data.

Because we know data isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s a signal, or a tsunami—or in Jordan’s case, an actual bite—that says something interesting, mundane, even strange.

So, of course, I saddled up. Not a confident rider by any means—I’ve probably ridden fewer than ten times in my half-century-plus on this planet.

You see, I recalled that riding is lovely when the horse and rider are in sync (setting aside that one time on a misty moor in England when my horse took off like a bolt of lightning—galloping, not cantering—and refused to pull up). That was also … Data.

As for Jordan, well, we weren’t even out of the gate before he started getting feisty—pulling forward, shaking his head , and, you guessed it, nudging and nipping other horses.

It didn’t take a data scientist to predict how the rest of that hour-long trail ride was going to go. So, I circled back to the data, asked for a switch, and resaddled on Bridie, a gentle mare who carried me on a beautiful wander along bush tracks. No biting, just bliss.

And that, my friends, is how we do data. We find it, collect it, sift through it, listen and learn from it—even the bits that make us want to take off.

Data can translate a hunch into a pattern, gives us moments of bewilderment before breakthrough, and sometimes tells us hard truths we’d rather not hear.

With over 1,500 surveys and long-form interviews under our belts, plus a treasure trove of close to 6,000 qualitative quotes (yes, we’ve been busy), we’ve learned that data—including the unexpected or inconvenient kind—is neither good nor bad, it is simply … data.

Once we accepted that, we stopped feeling disappointed every now and then. 😊

Anyway, this week we’re sharing some data-driven articles that we’ve created or caught. Whether you’re a seasoned rider in the data saddle or watching from the sidelines, we hope you’ll find something that inspires, challenges, or simply makes you think.

So, let’s all saddle up with our trusty data steed—whether it’s a biter like Jordan or a gentle Bridie—and keep navigating the twists and turns with evidence as our guide.

Because in the end, it’s not about the perfect ride; it’s about learning from every nudge, nip, and, yes, even the occasional bolt. Wishing you the best weekend.

“With data collection, ‘the sooner the better’ is always the best answer.” ~ Marissa Mayer

Policy Beyond Technology

To advance our mission of ensuring every student with complex attendance and health challenges is seen and heard at school every day, MissingSchool advocates with schools, families, stakeholders, and policymakers. We aim to transform how education and health systems see students with medical and mental health conditions. Our advocacy includes producing impactful research reports highlighting the importance of school connection for these students, securing policy for ongoing support for every student, every day. FIND OUT MORE

What Does the Research Say? 

Over the years we’ve curated a large collection of research papers on school connection for students with complex attendance and health challenges. This includes Australian and international research on the impact of medical and mental conditions and treatment, school absence, and teaching practice and pedagogy. This research, along with our own data, plays a vital role in shaping our approach to systemic solutions. Our Research page is regularly updated so check back occasionally for new articles. BROWSE HERE

MissingSchool Data – Annual Report

MissingSchool has been systematically collecting both qualitative and quantitative data from our technology service since we started piloting back in 2018. As we’ve added new services, we’ve also added new data collection points. We’re so proud of our world-class dataset (hello, data nerds!) and it brings us great joy to package it up for sharing publicly, like in our 2023 Annual Report. Every number tells a story about the human experience of school connection for students and their school communities. Won’t be long before our 2024 AR is out! TAKE ME TO IT

Science For Studying and Learning

Because we love data and also hacks for productivity and performance, we recommend this podcast episode where Andrew Huberman discusses science-supported protocols to optimise studying and learning new materials and skills. He covers the study habits of the most successful learners, ways to limit distractions, how to set study goals, and how tests can be used as tools to learn, not just as a means for evaluating mastery. It’s valuable for school students and for all lifelong learners! LISTEN NOW

Celebrating Fathers!

Happy Father’s Day to all the incredible dads and father-figures supporting students with complex attendance and health challenges. Your strength, patience, and love make a world of difference in their lives. Thank you for your dedication, from helping with schoolwork to providing comfort during tough times. Your efforts don’t go unnoticed, and your resilience inspires us all. This Sunday, we celebrate you and the impact you have on your children’s lives and their health journeys. Enjoy! A BRIEF HISTORY?