Working Together to Improve School Attendance

The guidance is addressed to all schools and is currently non-statutory in nature, but is likely to become statutory before September 2023 if the Schools Bill is enacted.

It stresses the importance of school attendance on positive pupil outcomes and reminds schools of their continuing responsibility to proactively manage and improve attendance across their school community. Section 2 sets out expectations of schools and provides that schools should:

• develop and maintain a whole school culture that promotes the benefits of high attendance

• have a designated senior leader with overall responsibility for championing and improving attendance in school

• have a school attendance policy which all staff, pupils and parents understand (we have developed a template which may be of interest)

• fulfil their registration requirements for attendance and absence and have effective processes in place to follow-up absence

• monitor and analyse data to identify pupils or cohorts that require support

• put effective strategies in place for those that need support

• build strong relationships with families, listen to and understand barriers to attendance and work with families to remove them

• work collaboratively with other schools, local authorities and other partners when absence is at risk of becoming persistent or severe.

For more information and advice on the attendance or registration guidance or for policy enquiries, please contact Victoria Guest on 07393 148 782, or complete the form below.