Improving Whole School Attendance and Punctuality
Pupil attendance, especially persistent absence, has been badly hit by the pandemic and schools are increasingly expected to take evidence-informed action on pupil absence. This programme will help you review current practice and explore strategies to improve attendance.
Date and time
On-demand
Format
Self-audit and review meeting
Cost
SSAT members: £129 + VAT
Non-members: £179 + VAT
Discounts are available for groups of schools and MATs completing the programme together.
Improving attendance to support the achievement, development and life chances of all learners is a national priority.
- How well are you are promoting the benefits of high attendance to stakeholders?
- How effectively you are addressing barriers to attendance?
- What impact is your attendance and punctuality strategy having on learners? What needs to change?
Attendance and punctuality programme audit tool
The audit tool can be purchased separately
Accompanied by a set of self-assessment criteria, based on SSAT’s well-respected Framework for Exceptional Education, the detailed audit process provides an objective framework against which to rate your current practice as beginning, developing, embedding or transforming, and provides structure for subsequent development.
Audit tool Price
£129 plus VAT – Members
£179 plus VAT – Non-members
Attendance and punctuality programme
SSAT’s Attendance and punctuality programme provides everything you need to:
- Undertake a detailed, rigourous review of practice
- Develop, refine, and communicate an effective attendance strategy
- Proactively identify, prioritise and implement actions that will make the most difference to learners
- Establish successful approaches to improving attendance through collaboration and engagement with stakeholders
Improving whole school attendance cards
Download examples of some of the core questions.
Who is the programme for?
Schools, trusts and local authorities in all phases. If you are an Attendance Hub lead school, we would be very interested in discussing with you how SSAT could support your system leadership work. Please contact us at schoolimprovement@ssatuk.co.uk.
What’s involved?
SSAT’s audit tool provides a clear, comprehensive structure for the programme.
The audit focuses on 7 key areas for improving attendance. These include strategy, leadership, systems, monitoring, intervention and parental engagement.
Stage 1: School self-audit
This initial stage is best completed by involving a small group of key individuals responsible for leading this aspect of the school’s work.
- Use the audit tool to examine, discuss, reflect on and rate practice.
- Return your completed audit and any supporting materials to SSAT.
Stage 2: Meeting with Programme Lead
Confirm the date for your 3 hour review meeting with an SSAT Education Lead. The school lead will set the agenda for the meeting, building in the opportunity for the SSAT Programme Lead to speak with a range of stakeholders to explore how effectively your policies are understood and enacted.
The meeting creates time to:
- Gain fresh, independent perspective on practice, process and systems
- Highlight issues, explore solutions and ask questions
- Receive verbal feedback on your school’s current and planned approach to improving attendance and punctuality
Stage 3: Follow-up report
- A report detailing the findings on the meeting will be returned to the school within 10 days.
- The report will highlight areas of good practice and suggest areas for further development.
- Participants will also receive a publication bringing together the array of research that has been published about pupil attendance and punctuality since 2019. The report includes five ‘best bets’ for strategies that have the best impact.
Summary of Policy and Research on Attendance and Punctuality
This research summary presents an overview of the key insights, findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the array of evidence-informed reports that have been published about pupil attendance and punctuality to school since 2019.
Timescale for completing the programme
Our only requirement is that the whole process is completed within three months.
Programme lead
Dr Keven Bartle, Senior Education Lead, SSAT
Keven has been a teacher for almost three decades and was headteacher at a richly diverse secondary school in London for nine years. Through his career, Keven has been committed to the power of education for social justice and transformation, working in schools where staff make a difference to the lives of children, families and communities.
SSAT’s Attendance and Punctuality Audit Tool Sample
Download a free sample of the audit tool.
Any questions?
Contact us or call 020 7802 0955.
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