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Absence and attendance
6 articles
Absence data and expectations
- Attendance data: pupil referral units (PRUs) View the absence data for PRUs, including overall, authorised, unauthorised and persistent absence rates. Find out how dual registered pupils count in the data.
- Attendance data: pupils eligible for FSM Compare your school's data to others nationally and find out the difference in attendance between pupils eligible for FSM and those who aren't.
- Attendance: national, LA and school data Compare your school's attendance data to others locally and nationally, using our templates and summary of the data. We explain how the data is collected, and where you can find your own attendance data.
- Attendance: persistent absence threshold and statistics School-age pupils are persistent absentees if they miss 10% of sessions or more. Learn how to analyse your data, and see the national statistics.
- Attendance: the legal requirements UpdatedParents have a legal responsibility to send their child to school. Read on for guidance on authorised absence and learn what to do if pupils aren't attending.
- Study leave for pupils: requirements and guidance Find out if you can grant study leave and what to consider when granting it. Plus, learn which absence codes to use, and whether study leave counts towards attendance figures.
5 articles
Authorised and unauthorised absence
- Absence and attendance in the sixth form Find out what you need to record in your register for sixth-form students. Learn about setting sanctions and whether you have to inform parents about students' absence.
- Absence requests for religious observance Make sure you know how to handle requests for absence from both pupils and staff during religious events. Also, find links to calendars of celebrations to keep on top of when you might see absence requests.
- Pupil term-time absence: what you need to know UpdatedTerm-time absences can only be granted in 'exceptional circumstances'. Know what factors you need to consider when deciding whether a circumstance is 'exceptional' and making a judgement around how long the pupil needs to be away from school.
- Tackling unauthorised absence: fining parents Your school is legally entitled to fine parents if their children have poor attendance. Find out about when you can issue a penalty notice, and whether you can challenge LA decisions on penalty notices and prosecutions.
- Traveller pupils: absence and attendance Must we authorise absences for Traveller pupils? We explain that the term ‘Traveller’ covers groups such as Roma and Gypsies, and look at legislation around attendance expectations for Traveller pupils. You will also find advice on when to authorise absence and which absence codes to use.
3 articles
Recording attendance
- Absence and attendance codes See which absence and attendance codes to use in different scenarios, with this at-a-glance breakdown.
- Attendance: closing registers It's up to you when to close your registers. See the official guidance on this, and what approaches other schools have taken.
- Attendance register: statutory requirements Get clear on the rules for registering pupil attendance and absence, so you can keep your school compliant.
10 articles
Strategies for managing attendance
- Flexi-schooling: guidance Can 'flexi-schooling' arrangements be put in place? We look at whether children can be educated both at home and at school, and what schools should consider before agreeing to requests. You'll also find advice on responsibility for the achievement of flexi-schooled pupils and recording attendance.
- Improving attendance: audit and tracking sheets Download our KeyDocs for tracking and auditing attendance. You'll also find tips on monitoring attendance from a local authority (LA) representative and our associate education experts.
- Improving attendance: plans and case studies (primary) Are there ideas for improving attendance in primary schools? We relay a range of guidance on cost-effective strategies for improving attendance and look at what other primary schools have done to reduce absence rates.
- Improving pupil attendance (secondary) Read advice on creating a culture of attendance in school. Learn how to identify underlying causes of absence and choose the right strategies to meet pupils' needs.
- Improving pupil attendance (special) Improving pupils' attendance in special schools can be a challenge, particularly where it's affected by their medical conditions. Learn how to identify underlying causes of absence and choose the right strategies to meet pupils' needs.
- Improving the attendance of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding How can we raise attendance of pupils eligible for the pupil premium? We cite two case studies from schools that have raised attendance for pupils eligible for pupil premium funding. You will also find suggestions from one of our associate experts.
- Parenting contracts for poor attendance Is there any information on parenting contracts? This article looks at guidance on parenting contracts, and at some proformas. It covers when to use parenting contracts, drawing them up, and dealing with breaches.
- Persistent school refusal: guidance When a pupil persistently refuses to come to school, your next steps will depend on the individual pupil. Read this article for information about what to do next, and how to plan for supporting the pupil back into attending school.
- Reduced timetables for pupils UpdatedGet to grips with reduced timetables (also known as part-time timetables). Find out when you can use them and what you need to consider before, during and after you've introduced them.
- Research into how attendance can impact attainment Read summaries of research and find links to case studies on improving attendance.