A “second transition” period for pupils moving up from Year 7 has become an “emerging challenge” that’s contributing to lower attendance in Year 8, experts have warned.
Research has uncovered a “more pronounced difference in attendance rates” and “drivers of attendance” between the two secondary years than any other two-year groups, according to a new report.
The ImpactEd Evaluation study found there was a two percentage-point drop in attendance between Years 7 and 8 - the largest gap recorded between year groups.
The research, which analysed 200,000 pupils’ attendance from Reception to Year 11 as part of its Understanding Attendance Project, also found that pupil premium pupils and students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) experienced a larger drop in attendance rates in Year 8.
The overall attendance rate for Year 7 students last term was 94 per cent, compared with 92 per cent for Year 8 pupils, according to the study.
Meanwhile, overall attendance for Year 8 students on pupil premium or with SEND was 83 per cent, compared with 89 per cent in Year 7.
Furthermore, ImpactEd found that female students with SEND and those who are eligible for pupil premium had even lower attendance between Years 9 and 11.
Last year, research showed that school absence among pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs was twice as high as those with no identified SEND.
The report recommended “making the most of wraparound opportunities” such as breakfast clubs and outdoor learning, arguing that these, used “as part of a deliberate attendance strategy, can be of particular benefit”.
ImpactEd also said the research showed that a “sense of school belonging” is a key driver of attendance, recommending that schools invest in developing “pupil voice and pupil leadership”.
And the report recommended “developing a positive whole-school culture around attendance” and said that “getting the language right around attendance is crucial”.
It said that some schools had done this by celebrating pupils who had recently improved their attendance record, while others had created the role of “attendance ambassadors” for pupils.
As part of the research, pupils were also surveyed using a questionnaire developed from the Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale.
Overall, ImpactEd found that there was a 10 per cent gap in how much pupils feel they belong at school between those in the top and bottom 20 per cent of school attendance.
The research also concluded that the biggest differences in attendance overlapped with particular pupil characteristics, such as those on pupil premium and with SEND - and therefore warned that school leaders “should avoid considering demographic factors in isolation”.
Concerns about pupil attendance have spiralled post-pandemic, with the number of pupils classed as persistent or severely absent mounting.
Leora Cruddas, chief executive of the Confederation of School Trusts, said that the findings from the report are “an important contribution to building our understanding of the factors affecting attendance”.
Owen Carter, director of ImpactEd Evaluation at ImpactEd Group, said that the findings “highlight the importance of schools analysing the drivers in their own setting: while there are some clear themes, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this complex issue”.
Commenting on the report, Dame Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner for England, said that the research showed the “value of schools using data to understand the challenges children are facing and to scaffold necessary support”.
She added: “I welcome today’s report, which highlights some of the barriers that may prevent children from attending. This year, I am calling on everyone to make attendance their top priority.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said the government had recently announced 18 new attendance hubs, increasing the total to 32, “where schools share proven approaches to improving attendance and working with pupils and parents”. It is set to expand its pilot attendance mentoring programme to a further 10 areas across the country.
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