UK Department for Education Implements State School Attendance Tracking with Data Dashboard

The Department for Education has updated the "Working together to improve school attendance" guidance for schools, academy trusts, governing bodies, and local authorities on maintaining high levels of school attendance, outlining roles and responsibilities. 

Following this update, the DfE has announced that all state schools in England will be required to share their daily attendance registers across the education sector. 

The initiative aims to develop a comprehensive attendance dataset to identify students exhibiting patterns of persistent absence or at risk of becoming missing from education.

Schools, trusts, and councils will have access to this attendance data through a secure, interactive dashboard provided by the Department for Education. This tool is designed to facilitate identifying students requiring support and allow educational institutions to compare their attendance records against local and national averages.

This measure is part of a broader government effort to improve school attendance following disruptions caused by the pandemic. The government has expanded the attendance hubs programme, introduced attendance mentors, and launched a national awareness campaign to educate parents about the importance of school attendance.

The DfE claims the plan has been successful, saying, “Our plan is already working, with 380,000 fewer pupils persistently off school over the course of last year.”

The DfE is also standardising penalties for unauthorised absences, adjusting the fine structure to ensure consistent application across councils. 

Rob Tarn, CEO of Northern Education Trust, has been named the national attendance ambassador to lead this initiative.  He will work with schools and school leaders to support attendance and share effective practice. 

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan commented on the importance of school attendance, stating, "Our fantastic schools and teachers unlock children’s imagination, potential and social skills which is why improving attendance is my number one priority.

“Today we are taking that next step to further boost attendance and I want to thank those who are working with us including teachers and heads.

“Education standards have risen sharply across the country, with Ofsted ratings up from 68% to nearly 90% since 2010 - and pupils’ performance is ranked as some of the best globally - so it has never been more valuable to be in school.”

Guidance emphasising a 'support-first' approach to address attendance barriers will become statutory from August 2024. The guidance focuses mainly on supporting students with SEND and mental health issues and encourages collaboration between schools, local authorities, and families to address individual attendance challenges.

Steve Wilkinson, President of the Association of Education Welfare Management, supports the initiative, stating, "Putting these measures on a statutory footing helps reinforce the importance of school attendance and the need to ensure families receive the support they need, when they need it, working together to ensure any barriers to attendance for children are removed."

Responding to the news on behalf of the Association of School & College Leaders, the General Secretary Geoff Barton says, “There is a wider issue about absence which schools are endeavouring to address by working with families and pupils to improve their attendance - rather than by using fines.”