Feel confident in leading and improving your attendance, and get to grips with how you can work in partnership with parents/carers to keep pupils safe and learning.
Learn how to take a strategic, data-led approach to leading attendance, so you can really make a difference in the long term. Plus, brief staff on what they need to know and understand about the role of the senior attendance champion.
How to develop an attendance strategy
Discover how to develop and implement a proactive, data-based approach to attendance, so you can lift out of the ‘day-to-day’ and make significant improvements to attendance in the long term.
Get to grips with how to analyse your attendance data to spot patterns in absences for groups of pupils, identify reasons this may be happening and plan your next steps.
Use our 30-45 minute briefing to help your staff understand why attendance matters, their role in improving attendance and how to support pupils and families.
Be clear on the legal requirements and your responsibilities when it comes to attendance and absence. Read our summary of the working together to improve school attendance guidance and get to grips with the advice in it.
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 a pupil isn't attending.
Working together to improve school attendance: the DfE's expectations
Get to grips with the DfE's guidance on maintaining high levels of attendance. Be clear on what you're expected to do, including building relationships with families, developing a whole-school approach and analysing data.
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.
Children missing education (CME): procedures and policies
Get to grips with the statutory requirements for school procedures related to children absent from education and children missing education (CME), including monitoring attendance, updating admission registers and making reasonable enquiries about a child's whereabouts. See CME policies from primary, secondary and special schools.
Get up to speed with Ofsted's new attendance and behaviour evaluation area. Find out what inspectors will look at, what they're looking for and questions they might ask.
How Ofsted inspects attendance and behaviour
Learn how Ofsted inspects attendance and behaviour under the 2025 framework. Use our self-evaluation tool to review your behaviour, attendance, exclusion and attitudes to learning against the standards.
Download and adapt our model attendance policy, or if you prefer to write or review your own, use our checklist setting out requirements and good practice. Share your policy highlights with parents and carers using our handy summary letter.
Learn tried-and-tested strategies to remove barriers and improve attendance, including a case study of a 6-step strategy from a school that transformed its attendance.
A 6-step strategy that transformed attendance: primary case study
Turn your attendance figures around with a consistent, data-led approach, underpinned by a clear policy. Find out how 1 primary school improved attendance and reduced persistent absence, with practical ideas you can implement today.
When you're concerned about a pupil's attendance, follow these steps to help you get to the bottom of the issue. Find out how to work with the pupil and their parents/carers, and then use what you’ve found to create a bespoke reintegration plan.
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.
Understand what internal truancy is and how to address the issue at a whole-school level. Find tips on creating a welcoming classroom environment, monitoring incidents and using sanctions.
Understand how to work in partnership with parents and carers to improve attendance together. Use our template letters to help communicate effectively and compassionately. Plus, read guidance on managing the primary to secondary transition – a key drop-off point for attendance.
How to work with parents and carers to improve attendance
Understand how to work in partnership with parents and carers to build trusting relationships that can improve pupils’ attendance and keep it high.
Absence, attendance and punctuality: template letters to parents/carers
Use our template letters to help you respond to attendance issues such as unauthorised absence and poor punctuality, or use AI to create a personalised response. See examples of letters from primary and secondary schools, and read guidance on building a trusting relationship with parents/carers.
Pupil illness and attendance: guidance and parent/carer factsheet
Understand when a pupil should be absent from school and share our factsheet with parents/carers so they know how long their child should be off. Learn how to reduce the spread of illness during winter to improve attendance in your school/trust.
Primary to secondary transition: features of an effective programme
Understand the key ingredients for a successful transition programme and see how other primary and secondary schools have helped pupils get ready for the jump to year 7.
✨ Use KeyGPT’s letter wizard to create a bespoke letter to parents/carers about their child's attendance
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