Education Welfare Services (EWS)

What schools can do

What can Schools do to encourage good attendance?

Experience shows that a welcoming and positive school is the most important ingredient in the recipe for achieving successful attendance. Welcoming for pupils, parents and the staff who work there. In striving to create that welcoming atmosphere schools will need to acknowledge their responsibility to support attendance and deal with problems that may lead to non-attendance.

Pupil non-attendance is a complex issue caused by a range of interrelated influences many of which are outside of the school arena e.g. home, family and environmental factors. However, there are many ways in which schools can encourage and sustain good attendance:

ensure pupils feel their presence in school is important and that they will be missed. If they are absent their absence will be followed up;
staff should have high expectations for all pupils regardless of their ability;
timetable EWO/Staff contact time to guarantee appropriate use of this valuable tool;
initiate a system to reward good attendance and punctuality;
provide a public form to celebrate success not only in the academic field but also to emphasise positive work, behaviour and attendance and punctuality;
reducing the risk of bullying;
early identification with regard to SEN;
implementation of structured programmes to adapt specific curriculum based difficulties e.g. disapplication, flexi-schooling, literacy and numeracy support;
actively discourage parents from taking family holidays during term time;
advise parents of any unauthorised absences;
value the importance of Teacher/pupil relationships and ensure the existence of a support system to prevent conflict or disaffection occurring;
include information relating to attendance in weekly staff bulletins;
set good role models;
ensure parent/carers feel welcome in the school by:
- inviting parents to assemblies and presentations this is an effective way of making positive contact;
- involving parents in the life of the school;
- develop a pack for parents giving information about school systems and procedures. Ideally this should be in different community languages;
- advising parents of the schools view of the importance of attendance and reiterating this regularly;
- developing a school news letters;
- development of a home/school diary can enhance communication and record good attendance and any rewards earned;
- involving parents in planning meetings;
School Clubs offer the opportunity for pupils to develop not only their skills but also friendships and social competence. Breakfast clubs, lunchtime club and homework clubs prove a very effective way to support attendance and help pupils to develop a feeling of ownership of their school environment.