The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed that from September 1, every mainstream state school in England will be given its own target to improve pupil attendance. This change, announced under Labour Party government guidance, applies to all mainstream schools and aims to address current attendance rates where one in five pupils miss 10 per cent of school.
New targets tailored to local challenges
Education minister Paul Waugh said the new attendance targets would take each school's local challenges into account, but stressed that "every school has a role to play to improve attendance." The move is part of a broader effort to tackle persistent absence, which has become a growing concern in recent years.
In documentation released by the government, schools are told: "Improving attendance is everyone’s business. The barriers to accessing education are wide and complex, both within and beyond the school gates, and are often specific to individual pupils and families."
Encouraging Friday activities and supportive environments
To help improve attendance, especially at the end of the week, schools have been encouraged to offer more Friday activities. The guidance also emphasizes that "good attendance begins with school being somewhere pupils want to be," and that the foundation of securing good attendance is a calm, orderly, safe, and supportive environment where all pupils are keen and ready to learn.
The government's documentation adds: "Some pupils find it harder than others to attend school and therefore at all stages of improving attendance, schools and partners should work in partnership with pupils and parents collaboratively to remove any barriers to attendance by building strong and trusting relationships and working together to put the right support in place."
No changes to illness absences and pupil protections
There will be no change to the protocol for attendance when a child is poorly and has to miss school; such absences will remain legally authorised. Pupils will not be punished if a school’s attendance targets are missed, but the DfE will directly contact the school to ensure it is taking adequate action.
The guidance also states that securing good attendance cannot be seen in isolation. Effective practices for improvement will involve close interaction with schools’ efforts on curriculum, behaviour, bullying, special educational needs support, pastoral and mental health and wellbeing, and effective use of resources, including pupil premium.
It concludes: "It cannot solely be the preserve of a single member of staff, or organisation, it must be a concerted effort across all teaching and non-teaching staff in school, the trust or governing body, the local authority, and other local partners."
