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Annual attendance challenges: calendar and guidance

Read about one-off and seasonal events that might impact attendance throughout the school year. Download our communications calendar to plan your strategy in advance, and find resources, templates and tips to work with parents/carers and decrease absence in your school.

New
on 6 August 2026
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 53923
Contents
  1. Find out about your annual absence drivers
  2. Download and adapt our template calendar
  3. Common drivers of absence
  4. Medical/dental appointments and illnesses
  5. Broken weeks
  6. Religious observances
  7. Birthdays
  8. One-off events like concerts and sports matches
  9. Agricultural seasons and shows

Find out about your annual absence drivers

First, work out which one-off and seasonal factors impact school attendance throughout the year. We cover some common examples and how to approach them below, but the factors that have the biggest impact for you will be specific to your pupils and their needs.

Review your attendance data from the last few years and look for trends and spikes in absence.

Then, compare these trends to what was going on in your school and local area at that time. For example:

You’re