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Understanding attendance - how you can make a difference

Attendance
Image by Kohji Asakawa from Pixabay

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Pupils are more likely to want to attend school when they feel safe, wanted and part of the school community. 

That’s the headline finding of the second Understanding Attendance report from the ImpactEd Group, based on attendance data from over 300,000 pupils and survey data from over 70,000 pupils.

The report’s purpose was to identify strategies and interventions which have a positive, sustained impact on pupil attendance. It highlights four common themes:

  1. Creating a culture of belonging
  2. Building a sense of safety
  3. Targeted, individualised approaches. 
  4. Seeing attendance as everyone’s job

What might that look like in practice? Straightforward suggestions include: 

  • Warm greetings on the gate when pupils arrive
  • Reviewing communications to make sure that messaging to parents is clear and positive
  • Mapping 'hotspots' in the school building where pupils feel less safe, and increasing staff presence there
  • Having consistent messaging used by all staff when talking with pupils about attendance

Note: context counts. What works in one school might not be right for you and your cohort. Get to know your pupils, parents and families and what matters to them. 

Questions for consideration

  • How does your role impact on pupil safety and/or the creation of a warm, welcoming environment?
  • Are parents in your school seen as valued partners in their children’s learning? Do they know this? 
  • Do you feel a sense of belonging to your school or organisation? How is that manifested for you? 

Read the report

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