When Kay’s attendance drops below 90%, her school responds with familiar strategies: calls home, letters reminding families that “every day matters,” and standard attendance interventions. Yet, in 2024, as attendance rates hover at troubling post-pandemic levels, schools need more than standard practices. Government data underscores the importance of attendance for academic achievement, showing that 84% of students with perfect attendance meet expected standards at Key Stage 2, compared to only 40% of persistently absent pupils. In this landscape, schools must adopt evidence-informed, multifaceted approaches to attendance that address root causes and promote systemic reform.
Understanding Today’s Attendance Challenge
School attendance has shifted dramatically in recent years, with persistent and severe absences remaining alarmingly high. The Department for Education (DfE) reports that 22.3% of pupils missed more than one in ten sessions during the 2022-23 academic year—a rate nearly double that of pre-pandemic levels. Among disadvantaged pupils, this figure is even higher, with nearly two in five falling into the persistently absent category.
This complex challenge has led to several recent initiatives, including:
- 32 Attendance Hubs supporting 2,000 schools through data-driven attendance improvement strategies.
- A £15 million expansion of the Attendance Mentors scheme, aiming to reach over 10,000 persistently absent students and their families.
- The “Moments matter, attendance counts” marketing campaign targeting parents to reshape attitudes towards consistent school attendance.
But as school leaders and policymakers know, these initiatives alone are unlikely to bring lasting change. A systemic, evidence-based approach is essential to move the needle on attendance.
Beyond Surface Data: Nuanced Understanding of Absence
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and FFT have highlighted the importance of understanding the complexities behind attendance data. Consider two pupils with 90% attendance:
- One student is absent every Monday due to anxiety.
- Another missed a week due to illness.
Although both have the same attendance figure, their underlying needs are vastly different. This example illustrates why a one-size-fits-all approach to attendance falls short and reinforces the need for personalised interventions based on individual circumstances.
Systemic Barriers to Attendance
1. Mental Health and Well-being
The pandemic has significantly impacted students’ mental health, contributing to higher absence rates. Increased anxiety and depression, especially in younger students, create barriers to regular attendance. Ofsted notes that a heightened parental caution around mild illness, fuelled by post-pandemic anxieties, is also keeping children home unnecessarily.
Proposed Solution: Schools could invest in more robust mental health support by integrating dedicated mental health professionals and offering trauma-informed training for staff. Encouraging parents to follow guidance from health authorities, such as the Chief Medical Officer’s advice on mild illness, can also help normalise attendance. I’m sure school leaders are chomping at the bit to do this, but it comes down to practicalities. Is there the budget for it?
2. Socioeconomic Inequities
Persistent absence rates are disproportionately high among disadvantaged students, with factors like poverty, unstable housing, and lack of transport impacting attendance. Schools Week highlights the need for a National Parental Participation Strategy and increased access to extracurricular activities, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, to foster engagement.
Proposed Solution: Schools can partner with local agencies to provide subsidised transport options, extracurricular access, and community resources for families in need. Investing in these areas can build a sense of belonging and engagement, encouraging consistent attendance.
3. Trust Between Schools and Parents
A poll from the Centre for Social Justice found that one in four parents believe daily attendance is no longer essential, a shift that may indicate a breakdown in the “contract of trust” between schools and families. Rebuilding this trust is crucial for sustained attendance improvement.
Proposed Solution: Schools can focus on creating positive, transparent relationships with families through regular communication, community events, and accessible channels for parent engagement. Emphasising the holistic benefits of school—academic, social, and developmental—can help reframe attendance as a foundational part of a child’s well-being.
What Works: Evidence-Informed Approaches
1. Welcoming and Supportive School Cultures
The DfE’s Attendance Hubs initiative underscores the importance of cultivating warm, inclusive school environments. Evidence shows that students are more likely to attend consistently when they feel welcomed and supported.
Implementation:
- Foster a positive school culture that celebrates attendance and engagement.
- Establish consistent communication strategies with families, using newsletters and assemblies to reinforce the importance of attendance.
2. Tailored and Targeted Support
Personalised interventions can address the specific barriers faced by persistently absent pupils, including individual barriers, family circumstances, and travel challenges. Attendance Mentors, for example, are trained to identify and address unique attendance barriers, particularly for vulnerable pupils.
Implementation:
- Design intervention plans that are tailored to each student’s needs, involving both the child and their family in solution planning.
- Engage Attendance Mentors or similar roles to provide intensive support for high-need cases.
3. Data-Driven Decision-Making
The DfE has introduced data visualisation tools to help schools monitor attendance patterns, identify early warning signs, and track the impact of interventions. For school leaders, data can provide crucial insights to inform targeted strategies.
Implementation:
- Regularly analyse attendance data to identify trends and respond proactively.
- Share effective practices across networks, such as Attendance Hubs, to amplify successful approaches.
Moving Forward: Systemic Reform for Sustainable Improvement
While recent initiatives provide valuable tools, they highlight the need for systemic, community-wide approaches to attendance reform. Here’s how schools can make meaningful progress:
1. Strengthen Family Partnerships
Rebuilding trust with parents through transparent and supportive communication is essential. Schools should approach attendance as a shared responsibility with families, focusing on collaboration rather than punishment.
2. Engage with Available Support
Make use of all available resources, including Attendance Hubs, mentoring programmes, and data tools, to build a strong, evidence-based attendance strategy. Schools can further benefit by collaborating with local health professionals to provide clear messaging on illness and attendance.
3. Advocate for Flexible Attendance Policies
Ofsted’s acknowledgment that there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” attendance target points to the need for flexible policies that recognise individual student needs. School leaders should advocate for systems that measure progress fairly, taking into account external challenges.
4. Prioritise Disadvantaged and Vulnerable Pupils
Given the disproportionate absence rates among disadvantaged students, schools must direct resources where they are most needed. This includes targeted support for families facing economic hardship, access to extracurricular activities, and robust mentoring programmes.
Looking Ahead
Attendance is no longer simply an administrative metric—it is a crucial component of student well-being, academic success, and community health. As Education Secretary Gillian Keegan emphasises, improving attendance is essential for children’s development and future success. However, sustainable change requires a commitment to evidence-based strategies, systemic reform, and a shared vision across schools, families, and communities.
Are you ready to enhance your attendance strategy with practical, evidence-backed solutions? Contact us to discuss how we can support your school in fostering consistent attendance and positive student outcomes.
