Many UK schools struggle with high pupil absence rates. Current government records indicate that during the 2024/25 academic year, schools reported an overall absence rate of 6.6% and a concerning persistent absence rate of 18.6%. These missed school days pose a serious challenge for schools and negatively affect students' learning and development of social skills.
Discover practical tips for improving your school attendance and engaging pupils back into the school environment.
The impact of low attendance
Low attendance can have serious effects on pupils that extend beyond the classroom. Research has shown that students who frequently miss school are at a significant disadvantage academically. Students often struggle to keep up with coursework, resulting in lower grades and reduced exam performance. For example, during Key Stage 4, pupils with a high absence rate have historically shown lower GCSE results.
Low school attendance has been linked to disrupting essential social skills development. Students miss out on critical social interactions with their school community, which are necessary for building communication skills, self-esteem, and a sense of community.
How can schools help boost pupil attendance?
Despite Government efforts to increase pupil attendance levels to those seen before the pandemic, schools continue to face obstacles. However, there are effective strategies and modern technologies that can significantly help schools boost pupil attendance.
Creating an engaging school environment
An engaging school environment is important for helping promote regular school attendance.
Chantry Academy has proved this by offering more than 100 diverse clubs catering to various student interests. Many schools can replicate the success Chantry Academy has experienced:
- Survey student interests: Gather data on students' interests and tailor school clubs to meet their needs.
- Highlight club successes: Showcase club achievements in assemblies or school newsletters and reward student club success.
Pupils should feel excited to come to school each day, and schools that create an engaging environment can see improved academic performance and attendance.
Collecting and utilising practical data
Implementing attendance management systems is essential for boosting school attendance rates. Using technology like iDStore's Electronic Registration tool, schools can use real-time data to accurately track and register attendance, reducing the risk of human error. This approach enables schools to adopt proactive, data-driven strategies while identifying trends and patterns in student absences.
- Automated attendance tracking: iDStore's E-Reg streamlines attendance recording, minimising manual errors. Students can register attendance using iDReaders, freeing up staff time for better student support.
- Gain detailed insights: Attendance management systems provide schools with reports highlighting attendance trends to identify and address absenteeism issues proactively.
Using attendance management technology, schools can tackle the immediate challenges associated with poor attendance and build a sustainable model that promotes long-term student engagement.
Adapting reward systems to sustain pupil motivation
Traditional reward systems used in schools can be demotivating for some students, such as those who achieve 100% attendance throughout the school year. To help maintain student motivation, schools should consider adapting their reward systems to be more frequent and inclusive.
- Frequent recognition: Resetting rewards to weekly or monthly means every student can be recognised for good attendance, which helps motivate and makes the system seem fairer.
- Peer recognition: Letting students nominate peers for attendance awards can help build a strong sense of a supportive school community.
Adapting reward systems helps maintain pupil engagement, promotes consistent attendance and ensures fairness, making the reward system more effective in boosting attendance.
Creating a mentorship and support program
Mentorship and support programs effectively improve attendance, especially with persistently absent pupils. These programs can provide students and their families with guidance and support. For example, the Department of Education's Watchtower project found that 76% of students with persistent absenteeism who participated in the program showed improved attendance.
- Targeted pairing: Matching staff members and pupils based on shared interests or needs helps adopt a meaningful connection
- Regular meetings: Ensuring check-ups with pupils guarantees staff members can provide support
- Parental involvement: Engaging with parents to help extend the support system beyond the school environment.
Next steps in school attendance management
Improving school attendance is a complex challenge that requires coordinated strategies. Schools can enhance attendance by creating an engaging environment, using data-driven tools like E-Reg, adapting reward systems, and fostering mentorship programs.
These approaches address attendance issues, engage students, support their needs, and involve families. When schools innovate and implement effective strategies, they build a stronger foundation for students to attend and thrive, making school a more enjoyable experience.
