Absence and attendance
4 articles
Absence data and expectations
- Attendance: national, LA and school data Compare your school's attendance data to others locally and nationally, using our summary of the data and templates. Learn how the data is collected and how to make your own data tables using the DfE website.
- Attendance: the legal requirements Parents have a legal responsibility to send their child to school. Read on for guidance on authorised absence and learn what to do if pupils aren't attending.
- Study leave for pupils: requirements and guidance Find out if you can grant study leave and what you need to consider when granting it for pupils in year 11, 12 and 13. Plus, learn which absence codes to use, and whether study leave counts towards attendance figures.
- Working together to improve school attendance: guidance summary Get to grips with the DfE’s non-statutory guidance on improving school attendance. Be clear on your expectations on taking a whole-school approach, analysing attendance data, and engaging with families to understand barriers to attendance.
5 articles
Authorised and unauthorised absence
- Absence and attendance in the sixth form Find out what you need to record in your register for sixth-form students. Learn about setting sanctions and whether you have to inform parents about students' absence.
- Absence requests for religious observance Make sure you know how to handle requests for absence from both pupils and staff due to religious events. Also, find links to calendars of celebrations so you can keep on top of dates when you might see absence requests.
- Pupil term-time absence: what you need to know Term-time absences can only be granted in 'exceptional circumstances'. Know what factors you need to consider when deciding whether a circumstance is 'exceptional' and making a judgement around how long the pupil needs to be away from school.
- Tackling unauthorised absence: fining parents Your school is legally entitled to fine parents if their child has poor attendance. Find out when you can issue a penalty notice and whether you can challenge local authority decisions on penalty notices and prosecutions.
- Traveller pupils: absence and attendance Understand the legislation around attendance expectations for Traveller pupils, and find advice on when to authorise absence and which absence codes to use.
1 article
Recording attendance
- Attendance register: requirements and guidance Be clear on the rules for registering pupil attendance and absence, so you can make sure your school is compliant. Find guidance on when to close the register, and see what approaches other schools take.
8 articles
Strategies for managing attendance
- Attendance reintegration plans Support pupils to improve their attendance with our template reintegration plan. Get guidance on how to work with the pupil and their family to create an effective plan that's tailored to the individual's barriers to attendance.
- Flexi-schooling: guidance Get to grips with flexi-school arrangements. Find out what to consider before agreeing to a request for one and what to include in an agreement with parents.
- How to improve sixth form attendance and behaviour Get expert advice to help you improve attendance and behaviour in the sixth form. Read a case study to find out how a sixth form improved standards of attendance and behaviour.
- Improving attendance: audit Download our audit to help you identify issues in your school, so you can put targeted strategies in place to improve attendance.
- Parenting contracts for poor attendance Get advice on parenting contracts, including when to use them in response to problems with behaviour or attendance, and see examples and guidance from local authorities.
- Reduced timetables for pupils Get to grips with reduced timetables (also known as part-time timetables). Find out when you can use them and what you need to consider before, during and after you've introduced them.
- Top tips for improving attendance Use our practical tips to help tackle poor attendance in your school. While these aren't intended to be a quick fix, you can put most of them into practice without overhauling your whole strategy.
- Understanding a pupil’s barriers to attendance When a pupil is at risk of persistent absence, follow these steps to get to the bottom of the issue. Find out how to have productive discussions with the pupil and their parents/carers, and how to use what you’ve found to create a bespoke reintegration plan.
