“Responsive intervention” by schools targeting the needs of individual pupils is effective in improving attendance, according to a new report.
An evidence review published today by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) also suggests that sending parents of students who are persistently absent personalised letters or texts can help to improve their attendance.
The EEF report looks at research into whether approaches such as mentoring, meal provision, extracurricular activities, punishment or rewards, help with behaviour or teaching social and emotional skills could improve pupil attendance.
The report’s authors found some “evidence of promise” for approaches that focused on engaging with parents.
In one study with a positive impact on attendance, parents were sent “nudge” letters, which outlined the importance of their child’s attendance for learning and for the school community.
Cutting pupil absence in schools: what the research says
The EEF also found positive impacts for responsive approaches, where schools aim to address the individual causes behind a pupil’s persistence absence.
One example highlighted in the report is where a social worker identifies barriers to attendance and then intervenes to overcome them.
Actions taken by schools could include assigning an older “walking buddy” for a pupil who is persistently absent because of transport issues.
However, overall, the EEF review says that the evidence on how to improve attendance is weak, with very few studies taking place in English schools. The authors said they were unable to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of several approaches.
The report adds: “Many of the interventions did not have sufficient evidence to reach a conclusion on effectiveness.
“There was not enough evidence to reach a conclusion for the efficacy of mentoring or behaviour approaches.”
The paper also notes that all but three out of the 72 studies took place in the United States, and they were all carried out before the pandemic.
Professor Becky Francis, chief executive of the EEF, said teachers “deserve a much clearer picture” on how to support pupils who are regularly not in school.
“We know that pupils who are persistently absent from school are less like to achieve well academically,” she added.
“While the research finds some positive impacts for approaches like engaging with parents and addressing the individual needs of pupils, overall the evidence on what works for reducing absenteeism is weak.”
Headteachers’ leaders said schools needed more funding to improve attendance.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, warned that schools and local authorities have seen support services cut in the past 10 years, impacting on their ability to tackle persistent absence.
“The government is currently placing a big focus on improving attendance, particularly in the wake of the Covid pandemic, and it is right to do so,” he said.
“But it must recognise that effective and sustainable intervention on a national scale requires an appropriate level of investment.”
Mr Barton added that pupils who are vulnerable are most likely to struggle with attendance issues, and schools already work hard to improve their outcomes.
James Bowen, director of policy for school leaders’ union the NAHT, said: “Local authorities, along with other agencies, can play a vital role in supporting schools in this work but they require sufficient funding to do so. We know that many have had to scale back the support they are able to offer schools as a result of financial pressures.
“The reality is that most of this work does have a cost implication. We share the government’s ambition to ensure that every child has good attendance, and hope they are prepared to match that ambition with the appropriate level of resources.”
Jon Yates, executive director of the Youth Endowment Fund, which works to stop young people from getting involved in violence, said: “Being away from school not only limits a child’s ability to succeed academically but also puts them at risk of criminal exploitation or getting trapped in dangerous home environments.
“Absences from school means that children can’t receive the support they might need from their teachers or pastoral staff, which could help to keep them from harm. Simply put, to keep children safe, we need to know how best to keep them in school.”
