A pupil’s attendance difficulties are usually symptoms of deeper issues. To deal effectively with persistent or severe absence, you’ll need to get a better understanding of exactly what’s going on with the pupil and their family, and then create a bespoke plan to tackle the individual barriers they face.
Use this guide to identify a pupil’s barriers to attendance, and to help you create a reintegration plan that's tailored to their specific needs.
Take action as soon as you notice a drop in attendance
It’s best to act early, before a pupil's attendance issues have become entrenched.
Check your school has – and enforces – robust procedures for diligently and consistently recording attendance data, and that a named member of staff is responsible for monitoring and analysing that data.
They should look out for patterns in absence and flag concerns about any individual pupil whose attendance has declined or whose pattern of attendance has noticeable changed.
