School attendance strategy

Whilst we strive for excellent attendance for all our children, we are fully aware of the challenges that pupils face. The recent pandemic has had a severe impact on some children both physically and mentally. It added to the already complex picture of why children do not attend that relates to situations inside and outside the school gates. The reasons for absences can be wide and varied. However, there are some recognised categories that can help us to ensure our support is targeted, implemented at the right time and by the right people:

• illness – following the pandemic, absence levels due to pupil illness has increased. Part of this is due to lower immunity of children. There is also a tendency for parents and school to keep children away from school for longer periods of time
• medical appointments – these do not have to be in school time but they generally are, often due to limited availability
• unmet special educational or medical need – the pandemic has resulted in delayed identification of special or medical need. Whilst schools must continue to meet needs through reasonable adjustments whilst they assess, the delay in identification has resulted in children being absent
• anxiety (parent or child) – fear of school is a growing concern which was accentuated by the pandemic. Any long term absence is likely to trigger a level of anxiety as well as the common reasons such as bullying, friendship groups and unmet special educational and medical need. Many parents developed anxiety themselves resulting in a reluctancy to send their children to school in situation where previously they would have
• holidays – absence during term time due to holidays is on the increase as the opportunities to travel increase following the restrictions of the pandemic
• parent dissatisfaction with school – this can result in parents removing the child from school until they feel that any issues have been resolved
• truancy – particularly older children can make their own decisions on whether they attend school. Some parents are unaware of these absences until the school inform them. These children may be at risk of harm by engaging in criminal activity or being a victim of exploitation. It may be the involvement in risky behaviour that results in the non-attendance or the poor attendance providing opportunities for this engagement
• bereavement – children can take a significant period of time to overcome the sadness of a bereavement. Without support the impact of the loss can escalate resulting in further barriers and increased absences
• parenting – this could be:
  • parents’ inability to provide the daily structure that is needed for a child to attend regularly
  • parent’s disinterest in sending their child to school due to their own educational experience or life events

The result of these and other specific factors that impact on children’s lives, is that school attendance is below where it should be in Lincolnshire. Therefore there is a higher risk of:

• underachievement
• mental and social issues
• potential involvement in criminal or anti-social behaviour