Attendance HUB

"Always equity, rarely equality."

A synopsis of the whole school approach to attendance at St Bede's Catholic Academy

St. Bede's approach to tackling the persistent and worsening attendance problem is focused on addressing the nitty-gritty details. The purpose of this is to provide you with a glimpse into what this actually looks like on a daily basis within the school. We firmly believe that it is the people, not just the policies and letters, who truly make a difference. An article that encapsulates our philosophy is "Be Braver: Heroes Needed" by Dan Nicholls. Additionally, we recommend watching the thought-provoking video titled  "The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations."   Both of these are hyperlinked and in resources folders.

Priority 1- Early Intervention.

We begin addressing attendance issues from the very first week of term. We do not inform parents that they are below 90% attendance simply because they have taken three days off in the first week. Below 90% is below 90%, regardless of the timing. However, if a student is consistently absent after 6-7 weeks of summer holidays, it raises concerns. Most children who exhibit this pattern tend to have ongoing attendance problems. We hold them accountable right away. We prioritise and value our disadvantaged students, fostering a culture of ambition and high standards.

Regarding holidays, all absences are considered unauthorised and subject to fines. In September, all holidays are automatically fined. We only authorise holidays in very specific circumstances, which we make clear to parents. We also decline requests for schoolwork to be completed at home or while on holiday.

We establish initial contact with parents of children under the age of 3 at their home address to discuss attendance at nursery. We closely monitor attendance in nursery and for 4-year-olds just as rigorously as we do for other year groups. We have warning letters for non-statutory school-age children and hold meetings to emphasise that there is a nearby private day nursery that does not monitor attendance. Our experience has shown that poor attendance in nursery or reception often leads to the formation of bad habits.

We maintain flexibility in our nursery offering, but we ask parents to commit and not use us solely as a babysitting service!

Every day, we receive a report of all non-attenders by 9.30 am, allowing us to swiftly trigger the First Day Protocol. We also produce a weekly report highlighting students with attendance rates between 95% and 90%, as well as those with less than 90% attendance.

 

Priority 2 – Everyone's Responsibility

Attendance is a collective effort and the responsibility of every member of the school community. Teachers, teaching assistants and administrative staff are all familiar with how to gather attendance data and identify patterns. We encourage them to be vigilant and curious. A staff meeting on how to analyse attendance, spot patterns, and review previous years' data was well-received and incredibly helpful. Teaching assistants are actively involved in this process, and the administrative staff receive training as well.

Parents are not allowed to text or use Dojo to provide excuses for their child's absence. We do not accept emails reporting non-attendance. We prefer to hear directly from parents either through phone calls or in-person communication. It is more difficult to fabricate excuses when speaking directly. Text messages are not accepted and are marked as unauthorised. During staff meetings, the first item on the agenda is always focused on identifying children with attendance issues. We also discuss vulnerable children and related concerns.

During pupil progress meetings, we specifically address the poor attendance of identified children (staff members are expected to be aware of this information). At parents' evenings, we share both attainment data and attendance records, challenging parents regarding attendance. We regularly send home attendance certificates and assess and rate each child's attendance.

Our Parental Support Advisor (PSA) works closely with senior staff, visiting home addresses, and leads the day to day attendance protocols.

We have conversations with all the children about attendance and emphasise why it is important to come to school. We link this discussion to our school virtues of resilience and responsibility. These conversations are part of our Personal, Social, Health, and Economic (PSHE) education and British Values agenda. We also explain to students the expectations of the real working world and encourage them to persevere through minor illnesses.  We talk about stress and anxiety as being part of the normal human range of emotions - that it is not an illness. We, however, offer immediate therapeutic, professional support for those who need mental health interventions.

 

Priority 3 – Identifying Barriers: The Five Whys

 

To identify barriers to attendance, we employ the technique of asking "why" five times. This method helps us uncover the root cause of the problem.

Our interventions, such as counselling, therapeutic trauma support, play therapy, occupational health, and speech and language support, are only provided to children with good attendance. Parents are asked to commit to this requirement.

Identifying barriers and systematically and creatively addressing them is crucial. We emphasise the importance of listening without judgment. There are numerous reasons why children may struggle to attend school, and we have heard a wide range of explanations over the years. Often, it is the parent's actions or lack of commitment that hinder attendance. Low aspirations are a common theme, closely followed by parenting challenges. While this may not be a popular or widely discussed topic, it is a significant factor.

Effective home-school communication is vital. We emphasise this from the first home visit until the last day of primary school. We have an attendance newsletter and regularly assess and rate every child's school attendance. We invite parents for face-to-face meetings regarding vulnerable attendance cases, ensuring there is no ambiguity about their legal responsibilities and moral duty to send their children to school.

Priority 4 - Implement Interventions: Removing Barriers

Our interventions are bespoke and effective, and we implement them early. We provide all children with a school blazer or jumper each year, paid for by pupil premium, to give them a sense of status and pride. The sports premium covers the cost of their indoor and outdoor PE kits. We also offer highly subsidised or free places in our breakfast club. Additionally, we have in-house private speech and language therapists, trained psychotherapists, play therapists and occupational therapists, whose services are used effectively and have a significant impact. A prerequisite for receiving these interventions is maintaining a good level of attendance. These interventions help children successfully access the full curriculum, motivating them and enabling them to achieve well. Alongside subject-specific interventions and catch-up/keep-up programs, we maintain "light touch" contact with children who are considered vulnerable attenders.

 Our rewards system is comprehensive and celebratory, but rewards are only given for genuine achievements. We assign roles and responsibilities to promote a sense of responsibility among children and a good attendance is a prerequisite of receiving these roles.  Our after-school activities are varied and targeted for children with special educational needs and those eligible for pupil premium. We have a significant agenda that promotes aspiration and collaborate with local businesses to develop life skills and career opportunities. We actively encourage competition between classes regarding attendance and implement other initiatives. The children respond positively to these efforts.

 

Priority 5 - Data Analysis and Pattern Identification

All staff members (including teachers and TAs) are trained in accessing attendance data and historic data, as well as identifying patterns. They are encouraged to bring attendance data to pupil progress meetings for any vulnerable learners. They understand that it is their responsibility and are comfortable flagging early concerns to the appropriate individuals.

Each day, we receive an absence list, and each week, we receive a report on attendance below 90%. Additionally, every month, we receive a comprehensive analysis booklet that identifies specific groups within the school.  During staff meetings, we dedicate time to discuss specific children who are persistently absent.

Presenting cold, hard data to parents and carers often shocks them. When discussing attendance with children and parents, we tend to focus on the number of days or weeks lost rather than percentages. We often share with parents that children with life-limiting conditions or serious long-term health issues have better attendance rates. We also share data that links poor attendance with poor academic performance.  Attendance information is regularly shared with parents, highlighting any days off and providing a list of ailments they have given us previously.

 

Priority 6 - Legal Duties and Enforcement

Legal proceedings are our last resort, but attendance remains our top priority. Stockton Local Authority (LA) is both robust and supportive, willing to issue fines if all reasonable measures and support have been provided by the school. They will fine for all term-time holidays if the school submits the necessary paperwork.  Exceptional circumstances have to be exceptional and a rarity!

We inform parents early on about their legal duties and provide verbal warnings as well as written letters, making it clear that they are at risk of legal action. We must be prepared to carry out these proceedings and be brave in doing so. It's possible that we may lose some children from the school roll, but we must remember that it is these children and our specific context that will be most negatively affected. We need to be their biggest advocate and voice. They need to be in school, and we need them to thrive and succeed. Staff members understand that these children rely on the school to close the gaps in their education. We have a bank of letters and employ an attendance officer for four hours per week to ensure full compliance with legal protocols. When fixed penalty notices are issued, we regularly update to track payment status.

Summary

St. Bede's does not have all the answers, but we hope that this meeting of equals will help improve the life chances of our most vulnerable students. The strategies, protocols, and resources we have shared reflect a culture of relentless high expectations and challenge. Below is a small snapshot of the impact of our approach:

 

	Total Absence %			% of Persistent Absentees
	2018-19	2021-22	2022-23	2018-19	2021-22	2022-23
St Bede's	3.6% (96.4%)	4.4% (96%)	4.4% (96%)	2.9%	8.2%	10.9%
National	4.0% (96%)	6.3% (93.7)	6.0% (94%)	8.2%	17.7%	17.2%

St Bede’s Catholic Academy attendance hub overview and strategy 2024
	Dates	Agenda and focus	Content	Resources. All resources are placed in individual files named after the title of the session (In red) Resources may be added as hub meetings progress.
Session 1	14th March 2024 3.30-4.30pm	Expectations of all, equity not equality; St Bedes Approach.	Introductions Video about St Bede’s Hub purpose and expectations {non-negotiables) Lead school intro and context Resources intro Sharing of commitment to key changes in approach. Expectations of participants.	Whole school vision/strategy. Character education linked to behaviour policy slides Catholic Social teaching Attendance role and responsibilities Attendance staff structure Attendance policy
Session 2	16th May 2024 3.30-4.30pm	Support through challenge: Part 1. Less than 95% People make polices work. Get creative! Rewards and incentives. Aimed at All student and families	Reflection of year so far. Initial feedback of resources. The “team sport” of attendance, fostering a whole school culture that permeates into everything. Belonging and identity Engagement Clear, concise communication and full commitment.	First day protocol Nursery letter In year transfer initial meetings. Daily attendance report Early monitoring (week 2 of term) 101 things PPM meetings Intervention map Code of conduct for parents Home school agreement Newsletters
Session 3	27th June 2024 3.30-4.30pm	Support through challenge: part 2 Less than 95% No excuses! Early warning. Data tracking and sharing All students and families	Key attendance topic:  early identification/first day protocols. Enabling staff to track and share attendance info. Identifying patterns Parent expectations	Trackers First day protocols Nursery/reception new starter meetings slides PPM sheets Child spot. Daily print outs Code of conduct for parents Home school agreement
Session 4	TBD	Raising the bar: part 1 Put a helmet on! Less than 90% Pushing back	Individualised approach -removing barriers/interventions and support Home visits phone calls home.  Contact with other agencies Stubborn hoverers! Disguised compliance.	Scripts for calls first day protocol trackers parent evening data share. PPM position interventions (unique school offer)                              Code of conduct for parents Home school agreement
Session 5	TBA	Raising the bar: part 2 Less than 90% Higher than 85%	Attendance plans Targeted interventions Meetings/visits Letters and other communication Flexibility and adaptability First warnings of legal action.	Newsletters Warning letter Late arrival/late book Challenge on medical appointments Cultural training for staff.
Session 6	TBA	Enforcement and monitoring Less than 85 %	Last resort (be prepared to evidence this) Legal position.  No discussion Fixed penalty notices (follow it through)   Partnership with other agencies	Newsletters Attendance plan Official letters from LA Fine notifications. Sharing of info with children services Health practitioners
Session 7	TBA	Summary evaluation. Stay in your lane!	Review and evaluation Next steps for individual schools. Wider reading External resources Case studies. (good and bad)	TBD