Background
There has been a huge national increase in pupil absence over the last number of years. The number of children who are persistently absent has doubled within the last six years (DfE). Persistent absence means that a pupil is missing 10% of school. Whilst this may not sound like much, over the course of a year this equals a month of missed school. Over this time period, the number of pupils severely absent (missing 50% or more) of school has also risen sharply.
There are a number of negative outcomes linked to low school attendance and EBSA, which include poor academic attainment, reduced social opportunities, and limited employment opportunities.
Against this backdrop of increasing absence, there has been new DfE guidance which highlights that improving attendance is everyone’s business. The guidance states that:
‘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. Securing good attendance cannot therefore be seen in isolation, and 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’.
We know that in Devon rates of absence are higher than the national average. We also know that when there are difficulties families have felt that support doesn’t arrive on time, the systems feel complex, and it’s not always clear where to go for help.
Devon Supporting School Attendance project
The Devon Supporting School Attendance project is to create a clear pathway of graduated support from ordinarily available (universal) to specialist, so that there is a clear understanding of how the right support can be accessed at the right time. As well as identifying and mapping the services which already exist within the county, this process has also identified gaps in provision, to extend the offer and promote collaborative working with pupils, parents, schools and role partners.
Taking a holistic approach
A cornerstone of the DfE guidance Working together to improve school attendance is that attendance should be considered within the pupil’s holistic experience of school and emotional wellbeing. Difficulties with attendance can be a symptom of another underlying need, such as a mental health or learning need. Similarly, attendance does not exist in isolation from wider school issues such as behaviour policies, bullying or special educational needs support. As well as factors that support pupils at an individual level, The Devon Supporting School Attendance project aims to consider all the broader contextual issues that impact a pupil’s attendance.
Recognising the need for early intervention
We know through experience and research that the longer a pupil is out of school, the harder it can be for them to return to school. Therefore it is essential that we notice and intervene as soon as possible when a pupil begins to experience difficulties. EBSA does not just refer to a child or young person who does not attend school entirely and the following may also be an indication of EBSA:
- Missing particular lessons or times of the school day.
- Avoiding certain environments, such as the playground or dinner hall.
- Not being able to go into, or stay in the classroom.
Taking a graduated approach to EBSA means that difficulties can be identified early and the right support can be put in place for a pupil.
