A Comprehensive Approach to Raising Attendance

Nov 24, 2024

Ofsted is coming after your attendance figures. Attendance will now be part of the 10! areas it will assess in its report card, arriving, we think, in September 2025.

Although I will show that your attendance policy might achieve very little, I’ll also provide you with an all singing, all dancing policy which will prove to Ofsted you are at the cutting edge of research and no school could reasonably be expected to do more.

At the end, in Annexe A, are the DfE examples of most successful letters home which have improved attendance.

The Research Evidence on Attendance

There is very little you can do to improve attendance. The EEF summarises the evidence like this:

Schools use a wide variety of strategies to improve pupil attendance.

Translation: everyone is throwing the kitchen sink, the dirty plates and the cutlery at this problem.

There is some evidence of promise for parental communication and engagement approaches and responsive interventions that meet the individual needs of the pupils.

Translation: improving attendance means improving parents. How far you can improve parents is limited. Communication is cheap.

Find out why your students aren’t attending and try to put in interventions to deal with those barriers or excuses. Sometimes they will improve attendance by a little bit.

The interventions that show promise take a holistic approach in understanding pupils and their specific need, and address the specific barriers to attendance that have been identified. For example, one programme found to have a positive impact on attendance used several different approaches depending on the needs of pupils, including a team to monitor and track attendance, parental communication, and motivation systems.

Translation: this is going to take a lot of time and effort and the overall impact of this these is that they “show promise”. In other words, good luck with that. It might improve attendance a little bit.

What To Do About Attendance?

Ofsted are probably not going to expect you to actually improve attendance.

They are going to expect at least the kitchen sink. If you have lots of evidence of what you are throwing at the problem, this will count, even if the figures do not improve.

And you might improve attendance from 92% to 93.5% by improving the attendance of 15 key individuals from 40% to 60% attendance. Which will have zero direct impact on the life chances of any of them - they will all still fail their GCSEs.

But, it will have the real benefit of getting Ofsted on your side.

So, Let’s Create an Attendance Policy That Shows Promise!

In this previous post, I told you how I sourced 16 documents from the DfE and EEF - everything I could find about attendance.

I gave the whole lot to Google’s AI NotebookLM, and asked it to work as my assistant. (I’m told that Microsoft’s Copilot will do the same, but NotebookLM will also create us a podcast so I’m team Google).

This is the attendance policy it drew up. I think it covers everything you need.

(The numbers in brackets were live links to the source of evidence from those documents - proof that the AI has not hallucinated).

Thanks for reading Dominic’s School Improvement Newsletter! This post is public so feel free to share it with someone else who wants to survive Ofsted.

Introduction

This policy outlines the approach to managing and improving attendance at [School Name], a school for pupils aged 11 to 18. This policy recognises the crucial role attendance plays in academic achievement, well-being, and future success.

The school aims to build a culture of high attendance, where all pupils can, and want to, be in school ready to learn [1].

The school will work collaboratively with families, listening to and understanding the barriers to attendance and working in partnership with them to remove those barriers [2].

This policy is based on statutory guidance from the Department for Education (DfE), including the documents "Working together to improve school attendance," "Suspensions and permanent exclusions," and "School Attendance (Pupil Registration)" [2-6].

Roles and Responsibilities

Senior Attendance Champion:

A designated senior leader will be responsible for:

Setting a clear vision for improving attendance and punctuality.
Establishing and overseeing the implementation of this attendance policy.
Ensuring all staff receive training and professional development in managing attendance.
Working closely with parents, pupils, and external agencies to address attendance concerns.
Regularly monitoring and evaluating attendance data and the efficacy of the school's strategies and processes [7].
Working with the local authority’s School Attendance Support Team [7].

All Staff:

All staff members are responsible for:

Communicating and reinforcing attendance expectations to pupils.
Following up on absences and lateness in a timely and consistent manner [8].
Recognizing absence as a symptom of wider issues [7]
Building positive relationships with pupils and families [9].
Identifying pupils who need support from wider partners [10].
Supporting pupils back into school following a period of absence [11].

Parents:

Parents are responsible for:

Ensuring their child attends school every day unless there is a legitimate reason for absence.
Contacting the school as soon as possible if their child is absent.
Working with the school to address any attendance concerns [12].
Only requesting leave of absence in exceptional circumstances and doing so in advance [13].

Attendance Procedures

Registering Attendance:

The school will maintain accurate electronic admission and attendance registers for all pupils [14].
Registers will be taken at the start of the morning session and once during the afternoon session [15].
National attendance and absence codes will be used to record the reason for absence [15].
Schools will not use a ‘no exclusion’ policy, which can lead to safety issues and perverse incentives for schools not to exclude even when exclusion may be the best option for a pupil to access alternative provision [5].

Late Arrival:

Pupils arriving after the register has closed will be marked as absent (Code U) or late (Code L), depending on the timing and school policy .
The school's policy will clearly state the length of time the register remains open, which will not exceed 30 minutes .

Following Up on Absences:

First-day calling procedures will be in place to contact parents of pupils who are absent without explanation [16].
If absence continues, further contact will be made, and home visits may be conducted to ensure the child's safety [16].
If the school is unable to establish a reason for absence, a referral to the local authority will be made [17].

Leave of Absence:

Requests for leave of absence must be made in writing to the Headteacher [18].
Leave of absence will only be granted in exceptional circumstances [18].
The school will communicate its expectations for requesting leave of absence to parents, including the need to make requests in advance [13].
Holidays during term time will not be authorized [12].

Data Analysis and Intervention:

Attendance data will be analyzed regularly to identify pupils or groups at risk of poor attendance [19].
The analysis will include cohort and group monitoring to identify patterns of absence among specific groups, such as pupils:
- who have a social worker, including looked-after children [20].
- who are young carers [20].
- who are eligible for free school meals [20].
- who speak English as a second language [20].
- who have special educational needs and disabilities [20].
Early intervention strategies will be implemented to address attendance concerns before they escalate.

Support and Intervention:

The school will provide targeted interventions to address the specific barriers to attendance faced by individual pupils or groups. This may include:
Mentoring programs.
Mental health support.
Assistance for young carers [21].
Support for pupils with medical conditions [22].
Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities [22].
Parents will be actively involved in developing and implementing support plans for their child [4].
The school will work with other agencies to address out-of-school barriers [23].
Where appropriate, referrals will be made to the local authority for additional support or legal intervention [10].

Attendance Contracts:

Attendance contracts may be used to formalise support for pupils with persistent absence [24].
Contracts will be developed in partnership with the pupil, parents, and the school, and potentially the local authority [25].
Contracts will outline clear targets for attendance improvement and the support that will be provided [25].

Penalty Notices:

Penalty notices may be issued as a last resort for unauthorised absences, such as holidays in term time [26].
Penalty notices will only be issued where other forms of support have not been successful or appropriate [27].
The school will follow the National Framework for issuing penalty notices [26].

Supporting Specific Groups of Pupils

Pupils with SEND:

The school has a legal duty to support pupils with medical conditions [28], including mental health problems [29].
The school will work with parents to develop Individual Healthcare Plans (IHPs) for pupils with medical conditions to support their attendance [29].
The school will make reasonable adjustments to school policies and practices to accommodate pupils with SEND [30].
The school will ensure pupils with SEND have access to appropriate support, including pastoral care and learning support [22, 30].
The school will work with parents to ensure that medical appointments are scheduled outside of school hours where possible [31].
For pupils with SEND, the school will consider:
- Adjustments to uniform, transport, routines, access to support in school, and lunchtime arrangements [32].
- A time-limited phased return to school [23, 30].
- Where necessary, the school will arrange suitable alternative provision for pupils with SEND who are unable to attend school due to their health needs [22].

Pupils with Mental Health Needs:

The school recognises that mental health needs can impact attendance [28].
The school will ensure pupils with mental health needs have access to appropriate support [33]. This could include:
- Pastoral staff.
- School counselors.
- Mental health support teams [23].
The school will work with parents and external agencies, such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), to provide comprehensive support [23].
The school will work with families to ensure pupils with mental health needs receive timely and appropriate medical care [23].
The school will consider a phased return to school for students struggling with exam worries [34].

Looked-after Children and Children with a Social Worker:

The school will

Maintain high aspirations for looked-after children and children with social workers [35].
Work closely with the local authority and social workers to support the attendance of these pupils [35].
Ensure that the social worker for each child knows who the school’s designated safeguarding lead is [36].
Work with social workers to ensure that school attendance is prioritized within multi-agency plans [37].
Develop and implement Personal Education Plans (PEPs) for looked-after children, which address any barriers to good attendance [37, 38].
Inform the pupil’s social worker of any unexplained absences [35].

Disadvantaged Pupils:

The school recognises that disadvantaged pupils may face additional barriers to attendance. The school will use Pupil Premium funding to provide targeted support for these pupils, including:
- Breakfast clubs.
- After-school programs.
- Support with transport costs.
- Additional pastoral support [39].
The school will work with families to address financial barriers to attendance.
The school will engage community businesses and partners to promote attendance and report non-attendance [40].

Gender Differences:

The school will analyse attendance data by gender to identify any patterns or disparities [41].
The school will ensure that all pupils, regardless of gender, have equal access to support and interventions.
The school will tailor strategies to address the specific needs of boys and girls where appropriate.

Age-Related Considerations:

The school will adapt its approach to managing attendance to the developmental needs of pupils in different age groups.
The school will be particularly mindful of the transition points between primary and secondary school and between key stages, as these can be times when attendance can decline.
The school will work with parents to ensure a smooth transition for pupils moving between schools or year groups.
Schools may use fixed penalty notices (fines) for pupils aged 11 to 15 and their parents if they have missed 10 or more sessions (5 days) for unauthorized reasons within a 10 school week period, and other support to help improve attendance was not appropriate or did not work [42].

Communication

This attendance policy will be published on the school's website and shared with parents at the beginning of each academic year [43].
The policy will be reviewed annually and updated as necessary [44].
Parents will be regularly informed about their child's attendance and absence levels through a variety of methods, including:
- Letters.
- Emails.
- Text messages.
- Phone calls [45].
- School apps and portals [46].
Parents' evenings and other opportunities for face-to-face communication will be used to discuss attendance concerns [47].
The school will engage with local businesses and residents to promote attendance and report non-attendance [40].

Examples of communication materials and letters can be found in Annex A of source "DfE Sample Attendance Letters.pdf" [48]. (See below)

Evaluation

The effectiveness of this attendance policy will be evaluated regularly using attendance data, pupil surveys, and feedback from parents and staff.
The policy will be revised and updated as necessary to ensure it is meeting the needs of the school community.
The governing board or academy trust will hold the headteacher or executive leadership to account for meeting attendance expectations and statutory duties [49]. They will review progress and provide challenge when required [49].

Conclusion

This comprehensive attendance policy, combined with a whole-school approach to attendance, will help to create a positive and supportive learning environment where all pupils can thrive and achieve their full potential [3].

In tomorrow’s post I’ll zoom in on just the elements of this policy which are likely to have an impact in improving attendance. Although you have to throw in the kitchen sink (Ofsted says so), it’s just the dirty cutlery that makes the difference.

Sample Attendance Letters: Annex A

These examples were developed in collaboration with Olive Academies, Unity Learning Partnership and Cabott Learning Federation.

General messages about the importance of attendance Dear Parent/Carer of {Pupil Name}

We need your help, please. {Pupil Name} has been absent for {#} days of school, which is equal to {#} lessons missed so far this school year.

We know that sometimes our pupils cannot come to school because they are really unwell - and that's the right thing to do for them and other students. Medical advice is clear however that children with mild illness will often be well enough to attend - for example if they have a cough, or cold, without a temperature. The NHS guidance Is my child too ill for school? - NHS (www.nhs.uk) is designed to support parents in their decision making about mild illness.

We also know that pupils fall behind their friends and classmates when they miss school. At ___________school we want the amount of missed education to be reduced as much as possible. We believe that our community is stronger together, with all of our pupils in school, on time, every day. We are building life skills, life-long friendships and preparing your child for future success.

We also know that you can have a significant effect on {Pupil Name} absences this academic year and we would really appreciate your help and support ensuring that {Pupil Name} comes to school every day so that they can get the best possible outcomes. We want to work with you to achieve this – please call or come in and meet {Pupil Name}’s class teacher or tutor if there is anything we can do to support you or your child. We appreciate that every family’s situation is unique. We will be in touch again to request a meeting with you if we have ongoing concerns about your child’s attendance.

Kind regards

Attendance Guide for Parents/Carers

Newsletter content to showcase attendance expectations

What YOU must do:

Try to telephone the school before 8.30am each day of your child’s absence.

Tell the school in advance, of any medical appointments and bring in appointment cards/letters.

If you are not sure whether your child is well enough to attend school, send them in anyway as they often perk up on arrival.

Have a backup plan for if your child misses transport, call on a family member, neighbour or friend.

If you and your child are experiencing difficulties with school attendance then talk to us as a first step so we can help!

What WE will do:

Check your child’s attendance every day.

Phone home to discuss your child’s attendance with you.

Invite you into school for attendance meetings if we are concerned.

If we cannot establish a reason for absence, then we may make a welfare home visit.

Absence due to exam worries

Dear Parent/Carer of {Pupil Name}

{Pupil Name} was absent for {#} lessons due to exam worries so far this school year.

We know that parents worry about their children’s mental health. Parents and carers must remember that mild anxiety, whilst sometimes a difficult emotion, is normal. In many instances, attendance at school may serve to help with the underlying issue more than being away from school, which might exacerbate it. Rather than keeping {Pupil Name} away from school during this time we would much rather you encourage your child to attend school and you let us know about your worries so that we can work together on supporting your child.

It is important to us that all children feel safe and supported when attending school and we are keen to work with you to ensure that {Pupil Name} feels this way when attending school.

We would love to meet with you to discuss avenues for support. Please contact [insert staff member name and contact information] to make an appointment or arrange a phone call.