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“Disadvantaged pupils are more likely to miss school. The latest national statistics showed 33.6% of pupils who were eligible for free school meals were persistently absent in Autumn 2021, compared to 20.0% of pupils who were not eligible.”
Persistent absence and support for disadvantaged pupils Inquiry
Schools are facing significant challenges in maintaining high attendance, with national data showing that absence stood at 7.1 per cent last academic year, up from between 4 and 5 per cent before the pandemic.
As students transition between pre and post pandemic education, schools and families face new pressures and ensuring consistent attendance has become more complex than ever. This conference addresses these issues head-on, providing school leaders with practical strategies to tackle the root causes of absence. With attendance being a critical indicator of student success, it’s crucial to implement approaches that promote not just compliance but genuine engagement with education.
The growing awareness of the link between mental health and school attendance adds another layer of complexity to the challenge. Anxiety-based school avoidance and emotional barriers often go unnoticed until absenteeism becomes chronic. By attending this session, you’ll gain insights into how to identify early warning signs of disengagement and mental health struggles, as well as how to build emotional resilience within students. The conference also explores how leadership roles, such as the Attendance Champion, can inspire whole-school change, alongside practical case studies from schools that have successfully turned attendance around through innovative solutions.
“As Children’s Commissioner, I have made school attendance one of my top priorities because children tell me how much they value their education and want to be in school. Every day counts: when children miss school, it’s not just about missing lessons, it’s also about losing valuable moments spent with their friends and teachers.”
Rachel De Souza, Children’s Commissioner
Who should attend?
Headteachers, Assistant Heads, Deputy Heads, Attendance Leads, Heads of Year, Education Welfare Officers, School Business Managers, Pastoral Leads, SENCOs and Designated Safeguarding Leads
Learning objectives:
Ensure you are completely up to date with all of the current and proposed changes in the area of school attendance
NEW: Brand new primary and secondary case studies for February 2025
Be prepared and get your new school attendance policy in place
Understand the governments expectations in relation to data sharing
Improve your data recording procedures and put in place clear practices on regular analysis to allow for identification of concerning patterns
Devise a plan for reengaging and supporting pupils who disengaged
Think strategically about school attendance so that you can embed a whole school culture that promotes the benefits of high attendance levels
Understand the role of the attendance champion and the impact it could have for your school
Consider the additional support needed for disadvantaged pupils to improve their attendance rates
Work effectively to improve attendance for children with mental health barriers to attendance
Consider how you engage with parents and the community on school attendance, looking at problem areas for 2025 and how to approach them
