Education Welfare
Services (EWS)
5-Level System of Attendance Management
"The best schools create a culture where pupils enjoy coming to school
and feel that attendance is worthwhile. In these schools, lessons are
a positive experience; pupils feel valued and make progress. Pupils returning
from absences are welcomed and efforts are made to ensure that missed
work is completed and understood. Parents value the school and comply
with its attendance procedures willingly" OFSTED
Framework Section 4.3
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Level One - School based intervention
In the initial stages an appropriate member of school staff is best placed
to attempt to address any poor attendance of pupils. This initial intervention
should include:
- Making contact with parents either in person or by telephone.
- Working in partnership with parents and pupils to identify underlying
causes of non-attendance:
- SEN
- Medical needs
- Bullying
- Family difficulties
- Social problems
- Disaffection
- Lateness etc.
- Adopting in-school policies to identify underlying problems and where
appropriate, develop suitable strategies to address them.
Independent research has shown that the single most effective tool in
improving attendance is the implementation of same-day contact. A first
day response to non-attendance emphasises to pupils and parents that unauthorised
absence is taken seriously and will be challenged.
Examples of action by school staff may include:
- Writing to parents/carers to ensure they are aware of an attendance
problem
- Arrange meetings in school with parents/carers to discuss attendance
and associated problems
- First day of absence contact
- School/Home contracts to encourage an improvement in attendance/punctuality
- Lateness strategies
Additional strategies schools may adopt include:
- The use of IT to improve the monitoring of attendance including a
dedicated answer phone line. This is particularly useful in cases of post-registration
truancy
- Raising the awareness of the implications of poor school attendance
through:
- Newsletters
- Parents Evenings
- Induction Meetings
- Home-school agreements
- Rewarding good attendance and punctuality
- Acknowledging improved attendance
- Periodically reminding parents of the school's procedures for notification
of absences
- In school register swoops – used to identify all
pupils absent on a designated day
- In school late gates
- Appointing a senior member of staff to oversee attendance
matters and dedicated staff to deal with attendance issues with clear
and transparent guidance policies which are consistently observed throughout
the whole school
- Pupil passes to identify those authorised to be out of school (This
system can be used to encompass pupils with authority to be out of school
at lunch times; those out of school on route to external venues; pupils
on research visits etc)
- Consider group work with pupils with poor attendance and their parents
(See also section "strategies to improve attendance")
- Learning Mentors – the introduction of Learning Mentors will
enable schools to implement group work as above.
Where a parent or other agency makes a request for EWS support directly
to the Service, Level 1 intervention will be initiated by the EWO attached
to the school.
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Level 2 - School-based in conjunction with advice from EWS
Where school based intervention is still considered the appropriate level,
Education Welfare Officer expertise and advice may be sought. EWOs will
act in a consultative capacity to assist schools in identifying possible
alternative strategies. At this level no formal referral is made. An EWO
may note the pupil's name in order to anticipate future intervention.
Where a parent or other agency seeks advice or support directly from
the Education Welfare Service Level 1 intervention may be considered appropriate.
In such cases the EWO allocated to the school concerned will advise the
appropriate attendance support staff within the school.
In order to identify the appropriateness of a referral the EWS will consider
the following criteria:
- Have all school based intervention strategies been adopted/considered?
- Is the EWS the correct agency to undertake the task?
- Is the timing appropriate?
- What is the desired outcome of the referral?
- Is EWS intervention a priority? (are there other Agencies or strategies
more appropriate)
- Have the parents been advised that a referral could be made to the
EWS?
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Level 3 - Formal Referral to the EWS
Each pupil will be considered on an individual basis and as such it is
impractical to set an attendance percentage level as a trigger for formal
referral to EWS. However, the Service would wish to consider (in conjunction
with information gained at level 2) the following cases:
- Block absences of more than 20 sessions without explanation or with
unsatisfactory reasons;
- Irregular attendance with frequent unauthorised absences;
- Prolonged poor attendance pattern, extending to half a term or more;
- Pupils with less than 80% attendance in any 4 week period;
- Vulnerable pupils exhibiting poor or irregular attendance (Further
information in Section – Groups at Particular Risk);
- Suspicious absences possibly accompanied by a parental note but without
medical corroboration;
- Known truants;
- School refusers;
- Absences connected with possible child protection issues;
- Pupils with persistent lateness;
- Those exhibiting a sudden deterioration in their attendance levels,
where no reasonable explanation is given.
Referrers should use the following Formal EWS Referral Form:
(REF 1) The factual evidence contained within the form will be vital
to inform future EWS work and is essential for case management and review,
and to provide statistical data for Schools, Governors and the LEA.
- A copy of the pupil's school attendance data should be attached to
the referral form and the school should retain a copy of the form for
its records.
- Copies of letters and details of other Service/Agencies involved should
also be attached.
- In order to ensure the health and safety of the EWO
concerned details of any known risk factors associated with the pupil,
the pupils family or the geographical location of the home must also be
included.
It is impractical to set a time scale for completion of a case
without first setting a parameter for measuring success. It is therefore,
necessary for the EWO and the school to agree a desired outcome on a case-by-case
basis.
School staff should be reminded that in order for legal action to be
initiated, absences must be recorded as unauthorised,
as authorisation of an absence by the school constitutes a statutory defence
to Section 444 of the Education Act 1996.
At level 3 - EWS actions may include:
- Writing to parents/carer
- Speaking with parent/carers by telephone
- Home visits
- Meeting with the pupil in school
- Meeting with the parents in school. These meetings may also include
the pupil and or school staff in appropriate cases
- Drawing up a contract between school/EWS/parents/pupil.
The EWO accepting the referral will make an initial assessment and determine
a course of action.
Where a home visit is considered the appropriate intervention or where
the above strategies are impractical -
- The EWO will, in most cases, make the home visit within 5 school days
of receipt of the referral.
- The EWS undertakes to provide a written response to all referrals
within 10 working days.
The objective of a visit to the pupil's home is to enable the EWO to
gain an understanding of the problem within the home context. It will permit
the EWO to assess the pupil's relationship, behaviour and family circumstances
as they impact on the attendance issue. Visits made without an appointment
i.e. unannounced, are often the most productive in this initial assessment
phase.
N.B. The implementation of the "Fast Track"
System may demand that some Level 4 strategies are employed
at Level 3.
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Level 4 - Alternative Strategies
Where there has been little or no improvement to the situation following
EWS intervention at level 3 the case will be subject to an assessment/review
in conjunction with the SEWO through formal supervision. Consideration
will be given to a number of alternative or complimentary strategies. These
may include:
- The provision of specific services e.g.
- Escorting the pupil into school for a predefined short period
- A time limited in-depth work program with pupil/parents/school
- Referral to another agency/service
- Formal letters
- Official Warning letter
- Pre-Court meeting will take place between parents/carers, pupil,
EWO, Associated professionals and Chaired by a Senior Education Welfare
Officer.
- Consideration of statutory intervention, i.e. parental prosecution,
Education Supervision Order.
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Level 5 - Statutory Action
Where there is a need to implement statutory action the EWS will act
within the following criteria:
- Prior to implementing action under Sect. 444 the EWS is required to
give consideration to the suitability of the case for placing before the
Family Court with regard to an Education Supervision Order (see below)
- Are the absences in the attendance register shown as unauthorised?
(Under Sect.444(1) Education Act 1996 – a statutory defence
is the authorisation of absences by the school)
- Has consideration been given to all possible intervention?
- Have the parents co-operated with the school/LEA in supporting the
pupil? (Parents who fail in this could be prosecuted under the aggravated
offence Sect.444(1A) Education Act 1996 – where, if found guilty,
the penalty is greater)
- Are there any other circumstances that mitigate against prosecuting
at this stage?
Where the above criteria has been seen to be met, the EWO will place
the case before a multi agency panel for consideration. Where the panel
agrees with the recommendation of legal intervention the EWS will seek
the formal permission of the Assistant Director of Education to proceed
with legal action.
The EWO will ensure that the following procedures have been actioned:
Section 444(1) and 444(1A) of the Education Act 1996 (Failure to
secure regular attendance of registered pupil)
Where there is little or no improvement following the
Pre-Court meeting the process will continue as detailed: -
- The EWO, in conjunction with the EWS Courts Officer will collate the
following documentation for prosecution –
- Head Teacher's Certificate of Attendance
- Statement from the EWO and exhibits relevant to the case
- Information regarding previous prosecutions
- Supporting documentation, e.g. doctor's letters
- Summons drawn up and delivered by 1st class post or by hand together
with all relevant documents including a statement and the above documentation.
(Served under Sect.9 of the Magistrates Court Act)
Section 443 Education Act 1996 (Failure to comply with school attendance
order)
(This covers children not on the roll of any school or
receiving education otherwise than in school)
- Established EWS intervention, i.e. letters, visits
- Series of notices relating to the School Attendance Order sent by
EWS Head of Service to parents
- The School Attendance Order sent by 1st class post
- Statements prepared
- Procedure for prosecution is as above
Education Supervision Order
If this course of action is considered appropriate the
following procedure will be pursued
- Planning meeting to include:
- School Staff
- Social Services
- Other agencies relevant to the case
- Parents
- Pupil (dependent on the pupils age and other considerations)
- EWO
- EWS Head of Access or SEWO
- Legal representative
- Consultation to draw up an action plan
- Documentation prepared in consultation with legal representative
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Supplementary:
Pupils referred by "Schools out of Borough" (where
the family resides within the Authorities geographical area)
- SEWO will ensure that the referral meets Bexley's criteria as at level
3 above. In some cases level 2 consultation may be more appropriate.
- The case will be allocated to an EWO on a rota basis
Pupils who attend Bexley schools but who "live out of Borough"
(recent changes to Kent County Council
working practices negates following process for pupils residing in Kent)
- Level 1 and 2 as above will apply.
- In some cases it may be appropriate for Bexley EWS to undertake some
in-school support meetings. However each case will be treated on an individual
basis and may be addressed through formal supervision periods with the
SEWO.
- Where school based intervention has proved insufficient to impact
on the pupil's attendance the school should formally refer the case
using the Bexley referral form. The EWO allocated
to the school will make a home visit and inform the home Authority of
the referral in line with cross Authority protocol.
- The EWO will continue to update the home Authority on the progression
of the referral.
Groups of pupils at particular risk
Certain pupils are at particular risk and may need additional
support and in such cases referral to the EWS may be considered appropriate
outside of the standard criteria. These groups include:
- Those with Special Educational Needs;
- Children in the care of the local authority (pupils otherwise
known as Looked after children (LAC) or Children in Public Care (CPC)
for whom certain explicit requirements exist as detailed below);
- Children from ethnic and cultural minorities;
- Travellers;
- Young carers;
- Those from families under stress;
- Pregnant schoolgirls and teenage mothers;
- Children facing emotional/psychological difficulties.
Looked After Children
Following the implementation of "Quality Protects"
and the publication of DfEE Guidance – Education Protect 2000, additional
requirements were placed on schools and the authority in order to support
this vulnerable group. The LEA in its' Corporate Parent role must ensure
optimum school attendance for LAC. As part of that role the EWS must be
made aware of any attendance issue in line with the following criteria.
Action will be taken as appropriate:
- intervention is recommended when absences total 10 days in any one
year;
- the prevention of absences from school of more than 25 days and a
reduction in the number of unauthorised absences;
- schools should notify the authority of all absences over 5%;
- explanations for all authorised and unauthorised
absences should be reported yearly.
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