What Schools Can Learn From Recent Research Into Attendance

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 webinar will summarise emergent findings from recent attendance research and how these can help you shape your interventions.

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Why this webinar is important for school leaders

Pupil attendance to school since the pandemic has significantly worsened and is now routinely referred to as being in ‘crisis’. Overall absence is over 50% higher than pre-pandemic levels, with persistent absence rates stubbornly remaining at double the level they were in 2018/19. This has led some commentators to suggest that the ‘social contract’ between school and home – that children should attend school every day – is broken.

With the increased focus on absence rates across the country, there has been a recent upsurge in research reports on improving attendance produced by the government and related agencies, educational think-tanks, charities and academics. These reports have identified a range of potential solutions for addressing the attendance crisis that have the potential to be helpful for school leaders as well as policymakers.

There are, however, challenges for schools in working with pupils and parents on improving attendance in such an evidence-rich environment. The pressures for you as school leaders may include the following:

• Finding time in your busy day to stay abreast of the never-ending stream of research reports.
• Synthesising the wealth of evidence into practical strategies for tackling absences in your context.
• Choosing from competing research claims in finding solutions to your school’s particular needs.
• Recognising the limitations of the research and identifying the ‘best bets’ for your attention.
• Prioritising your resources by finding the most cost-effective evidence-informed approaches.

Why attend this webinar?

By attending this webinar you will:

• Understand the research landscape and its findings around pupil attendance and absence.
• Identify common themes around the ‘best bets’ for attendance work coming from the evidence.
• Recognise the limitations of the evidence base and the implications of this for schools.
• Consider the latest findings from an organisation working on research into attendance.
• Reflect on how a leading school has utilised research in their absence management processes.

Webinar structure

• Part 1: Dr Keven Bartle (SSAT) will summarise the key strands and emergent findings of research reports into pupil attendance and absence published since the coronavirus pandemic.
• Part 2: A presentation on the recently published findings of ImpactEd’s Understanding Attendance project to help schools address the drivers of pupil absence.
• Part 3: Wayne Robinson, Julie Allen and Claire Stoneman (Four Dwellings Academy, Birmingham) will showcase their school’s work aligning culture, strategy and engagement to improve attendance.

Who should attend the webinar

This webinar is suitable for all school phases, and the following roles:

• Headteachers and principals
• School leaders with strategic responsibility for attendance
• Link governor for attendance
• Attendance managers
• Education welfare officers
• Family liaison workers.

What you get with this webinar (Supporting materials)

• Attendees will receive a 20+ page summary of attendance research report findings since 2019.
• Attendees who purchase SSAT’s Improving Whole School Attendance and Punctuality programme by 31 July 2024 will receive a discount of £185 equivalent to this webinar cost.

Host information

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.