School refusal occurs across a broad range of students from the first to the final years of school, and is of concern to students, parents and teachers alike. This study uses the perspective of practitioners working at the school level to identify linkages between the presenting problems, interventions and outcomes of school refusal. This pattern is then compared to the Functional Model of School Refusal to establish the relevance of the Model. A multiple single-case study approach was used with ten case histories with positive outcomes being matched against the Functional Model. As these provided some support for the model an additional six case histories with negative outcomes were then matched against the Model. Two interviews of practitioners who had worked with school refusal were also analysed. The Functional Model of School Refusal received some support through this analysis, but areas were identified which were not adequately addressed by the Model. The Model was subsequently revised into a broader functional approach which takes greater account of the role of the family and environmental factors affecting school refusal. It is recommended that a broader multi-modal approach to intervention be implemented by practitioners dealing with school refusal.