Addressing Attendance and it's impact on education

This intervention programme is aimed at tackling poor attendance in schools. The sessions enable short bursts of relevant discussion around lates and absences and the effect on their schooling and life’s chances. Each week considers another aspect and allows discussion and education in order to alter their view point and improve their education. The aim is to improve each student’s attendance.

REFERRAL CRITERIA
These are the criteria that I used, your school might need a different range.
Attendance below 85%
Persistently late for school
Persistently late for lessons

LENGTH OF INTERVENTION
It may be six or twelve weeks depending upon the student’s progress. These sessions are shorter than normal sessions and cover half a lesson or a form time because these children have already missed too much of their education.

BASIC OVERVIEW OF THE INTERVENTION SESSIONS

1. Expectations and rules – general overview of the course and its aims.
   1a. Views on attendance – how the students see attendance in general.
2. School - behaviour and attitude – are there wider issues affecting their attendance at school?
   3.School - working and engagement - Do they work well and do they have aspirations?
3. Patterns of absence – to see if there are any ‘patterns’ to their absence.
4. % absence and figures – how days off stack up and affect their attendance percentage.
5. Why am I feeling this way?
6. How motivated am I? – encouraging the student to come in if they are just a bit ‘ill’.
7. Lates, how do they affect jobs – looking at how this impacts their future?
8. Jobs etc – continuing the theme from last week’s session.
9. Attitudes questionnaire – has their attitude improved since they have been in the group?
10. Truancy - looking at truancy and the dangers it involves.
11. Change - challenging them to look at how they can make changes.
12. Celebration/graduation – success from the group and choices for the future.

ADDITIONAL WORKSHEETS
Happy Juice - a way of explaining mental health
The Glass story - a tale of carrying around troubles and how that affects us.
The worry box - talking about facilitating a worry box.
Jar of life - explaining what’s important in life and having priorities.
Heroes - who is their hero and how could having a hero’s help them.
I’m OK - a worksheet covering different aspects of life!
Families - looking at what a ‘normal’ family is.
Failure - the benefits of accepting failure as a way of achieving success.
Grateful for - looking for the positives in life and how to focus on them.
This is your life - what would they do on a chat show of their life?