Working with families

Schools use a range of approaches to communicate with parents and carers about the importance of attendance and its impact on pupils’ achievement. They reinforce clear and regular messages through newsletters, displays, infographics and other communication channels. In the strongest practice, senior leaders set consistently high expectations for every pupil’s attendance and communicate these clearly to parents, carers and learners. This is most effective when schools build positive and trusting relationships with families, supporting a shared understanding of the importance of attendance and the impact of absence. Increasingly, staff promote positive attendance through approaches such as house competitions, certificates and prizes. Staff should continue to ensure that these approaches are inclusive and reflect the guidance in Included, engaged and involved part 1: promoting and managing school attendance (gov.scot).

In many schools, senior leaders and staff work effectively with families to support attendance. They identify declining attendance quickly and engage sensitively with children, young people and their families. Staff listen carefully to parents and carers to understand the barriers to regular attendance. They provide support where needed and challenge families appropriately when attendance does not improve. Schools and families work together to address the reasons for absence and agree clear plans to improve attendance for individual children and young people. This includes responding to practical challenges affecting family life, such as work commitments or financial pressures. Many schools provide breakfast clubs and use a range of approaches to identify and reduce financial barriers.

Where policies, roles and responsibilities are unclear, schools do not always work consistently with families. In these circumstances, staff should involve children, young people, parents and carers in reviewing and developing approaches to attendance. This should include planning support for individual pupils as well as agreeing whole-school approaches.