Support to improve attendance

Overall, schools are promoting positive attendance across the whole school community. Staff reinforce clear and consistent messages about attendance through assemblies, the wellbeing curriculum and classroom discussions. In the strongest practice, children and young people are meaningfully involved in school improvement, helping staff understand and respond to issues that affect their experience of school. This supports pupils to feel included, listened to and connected to their school community, strengthening their motivation, engagement and sense of belonging.

Staff respond quickly when attendance for individual pupils begins to decline. They use their knowledge of the pupil, often through one-to-one conversations, to understand what support may be needed. These conversations help staff explore pupils’ wellbeing and identify factors that may be affecting their attendance. The most effective support includes regular, and often daily, check-ins with trusted adults. This helps staff monitor attendance, strengthen relationships and respond to issues as they emerge. This kind of low-level, relational intervention can improve attendance quickly, reduce perceived barriers and help prevent further absence.

In the strongest practice, staff use a range of wellbeing tools to assess the needs of children and young people. They analyse this information to identify emerging themes, adapt curriculum and learning experiences, and put relevant interventions in place for individuals and groups.