Attendance SIG

This group aims to support school leaders improve attendance and reduce persistent absence. Unlike our communities, our special interest groups are intended for self-study. They are aimed at those with a responsibility or an interest in this aspect of education. Please look out for one-off events that support this SIG.

28 Sep 2026 - update from HT KIT meeting on attendance:

• This article from Schools Week highlights that ethnicity not included ‘on legal grounds’ - https://schoolsweek.co.uk/similar-schools-concern-as-location-not-a-factor-in-new-ofsted-model/

• To understand the average impact of ethnicity on attendance, this article has some useful comparisons: https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/education-skills-and-training/absence-and-exclusions/absence-from-school/latest/

• To help understand the average impact of other factors, e.g. SEND on attendace, this report from the Centre for Social Justice (p14) shows comparisons from a few years ago: https://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/CSJ-Absence_Tracker.pdf

• Guidance: Free school meals: guidance for local authorities, local-authority-maintained schools, academies and free schools (DfE, 16 Sep 2026)

• News: Early notice of changes to autumn school census (Newham Connect, 05 May 2026)

• Research: Relationship between mental ill health & absence - aged 13 to 16 (DfE, 2025)

• Blog: Helping pupils return to school: strategies for improving attendance (NFER, 2025)

• Report: Children’s Commissioner report ‘Lost in Translation’, also available as a summary (Children's Commissioner, 2024)

• Article: What is driving persistent absence in your setting  (Schools Week, 23 Oct 2023)

• Article: How Attendance Hubs Are Tackling Soaring Absences (Schools Week, 08 Sep 2023)

• Article: 'I don't really care any more': Parent Apathy... (Schools Week, 21 Sep 2023)

• Blog: Improving School Attendance (Ofsted, Nov 2023)

• Blog: Chronic Absenteeism has become a crisis (Thomas Fordham Institute (US), 2023)

• Blog: September Absence Round up  (FFT Education Datalab, Sep 2023)

• Blog: How likely are pupils absent in first week to become persistently absent (FFT, Sep 2023)

• Blog: Five things to know about chronic absenteeism (Ed Trust, 15 Mar 2023) NB: US based

• Article: Knock on the door: Simple solution to poor attendance? (Schools Week, 07 Nov 2022)

• Guidance: Securing Good Attendance and Tackling Persistent Absence (Ofsted, 2022)

• Inspecting attendance: Schools (Ofsted, Jan 2026)

• Guidance: Working together to improve school attendance (DfE, 2022)

• Video: Free School Meals (FSM) guidance (DfE, 2026)

• Video: Inspecting attendance well (Ofsted, 2024)

• Video: In the best interests of children (Ofsted, 2024)

• Video: Working Together to Improve School Attendance (DfE, 2024)

• Podcast: Terri White: Finding Britain's Ghost Children (BBC, 22 Mar 2022)

• Podcast: Evidence into Action: Supporting school attendance (EEF, 2024)

(coming soon)

Guidance Documents

• Putting Evidence to Work (Implementation Guidance) (EEF, 2024)

Videos

• A schools' guide to Implementation - Animation (EEF, 2024)

• Newham Learning: Implementation (Newham Learning, 2022)

Templates

• Action plan template (pdf)

• Action plan template (docx)

• Case study template (pdf)

• Case study template (pptx)

Improving School Attendance Blog (Ofsted, Nov 2023)

What is driving persistent absence in your setting  (Schools Week, 23 Oct 2023)

September Absence Round up  (FFT Education Datalab, Sep 2023)

'I don't really care any more': Parent Apathy on Attendance Laid Bare (Schools Week, 21 Sep 2023)

How Attendance Hubs Are Tackling Soaring Absences (Schools Week, 08 Sep 2023)

How likely are pupils who are absent in the first week of term to become persistently absent (FFT, Sep 2023)

Five things to know about chronic absenteeism (Ed Trust, 15 Mar 2023) NB: US based organisation

The knock on the door: A simple solution to poor attendance? (Schools Week, 07 Nov 2022