A new report on school attendance sets out key principles for reducing the likelihood of pupils being absent.
Improving Attendance: understanding the issues, published by Education Scotland today, is designed to help local authorities as they look for ways to cut absence.
It has been published on the same day as another important report about Scottish schools, focused on behaviour.
Improving school attendance: key principles
Here are some of they key principles set out in today’s report on school attendance :
1. Simply being in school is not enough
“Engagement is as important as attendance,” the report states. “Children and young people may physically be in school but can be disengaged from learning.”
2. Any absence can be harmful
“All absence can affect progress,” the report advises. However, it stresses that there are particular concerns when a pupil’s attendance falls below 90 per cent: “The higher the absence, the greater the impact on attainment.”
3. Low attendance is more likely in some groups
Certain groups are more vulnerable to low attendance, including:
- Those affected by poverty
- Secondary-aged students
- Pupils from Gypsy and Traveller communities
- Pupils with additional support needs, including: care-experienced children and young people, young carers, pupils who have experienced exclusion, and anxious pupils.
4. Involving families is critical
Schools should work closely with families to ensure “effective communication and support” that will “remove barriers that impact on attendance”. The report authors found several examples of the positive impact of home-link workers or third-sector organisations.
5. Seek prevention, not just cures
“Early warning systems should initiate intervention,” the report states. Effective tracking and monitoring systems will “ensure early intervention is triggered”.
The report adds: “This is essential to avoid lengthier absences, which often require more complex interventions.”
6. Support is out there for schools
There are several resources to help schools improve pupil attendance. A number of these are listed on page 5 of the report.
7. Support for pupils must be more consistent
As part of the Scottish Attainment Challenge, all local authorities have included attendance as a “stretch aim” over the next three years, while 25 of Scotland’s 32 authorities have a “strategic plan” for improving attendance. Some 15 of the 18 schools sampled for the report included improving attendance in their improvement plans.
However, today’s report states: “There appears to be significant variations across Scotland in how data is used to identify children and young people who require support and the thresholds that trigger support.”
