College is the perfect setting for pupils to study in. Being at school helps hold youngsters protected and helps them to achieve their potential, whereas being surrounded by academics and buddies.
That’s why we’re dedicated to tackling the elements inflicting youngsters to overlook college. Right here, we inform you what it’s good to find out about college attendance.
What are ‘ghost youngsters’?
‘Ghost youngsters’ isn’t an official authorities time period, however the media usually makes use of it to discuss with youngsters who usually are not commonly attending college.
When the media discuss with ghost youngsters, they might imply youngsters of faculty age, who usually are not registered pupils at a faculty and never receiving appropriate schooling, comparable to ample home-schooling.
The media may embody youngsters who’re registered at college however are persistently or severely absent.
What about youngsters who’re persistently or severely absent?
Kids who’re registered at a faculty however commonly fail to show up are formally known as being ‘persistently’ or ‘severely’ absent.
The college day is break up in to 2 periods – one session counts as a morning or afternoon spent at school. Pupils who’ve missed greater than 10% of faculty periods are persistently absent, whereas youngsters who’ve missed greater than 50% of faculty periods are severely absent.
It’s encouraging that the variety of absent pupils has fallen because the pandemic, however there’s nonetheless work to do. That’s the reason we’re introducing measures to enhance college attendance.
Is it true that every one persistently absent youngsters go on to commit crimes?
It is vital not to attract the conclusion that persistent absence drives crime.
Some youngsters go on to grow to be persistently absent after an offence has taken place and for others, elements together with pupil dangers might play a job.
Our evaluation exhibits that solely 2% of scholars who completed KS4 between 2012/13 – 2017/18 and had ever been persistently absent had been youngsters who had been cautioned or sentenced with a critical violence offence.
What are we doing to enhance college attendance?
We’re supporting faculties to spice up attendance by means of a variety of initiatives, set out in our latest attendance technique and steerage. This features a new information visualisation device which makes it simpler for academics to analyse attendance, and the formation of an Attendance Motion Alliance of nationwide schooling and care leaders who’re working collectively to focus on the explanations behind poor attendance.
We’re now constructing on this by means of the growth of our Attendance Hubs programme. These are networks of faculties that share finest observe and sensible sources with one another to assist drive up attendance charges. For instance, the Hubs may assist faculties to roll out automated textual content messaging to oldsters when pupils haven’t confirmed up at college, or to enhance the usage of information to determine youngsters susceptible to poor attendance.
On prime of this, we’re increasing our Attendance Mentors programme. Delivered by youngsters’s charity Barnardo’s, the programme targets areas of the nation with the best ranges of pupil absence, with skilled mentors working straight with persistently and severely absent youngsters and their households to determine limitations to attendance and assist them again into college.
We’re additionally accumulating proof to tell future coverage on youngsters who usually are not registered at college or receiving appropriate house schooling. It will assist us to determine finest observe and efficient methods to verify all youngsters are receiving an applicable schooling.
Altogether, these measures will goal to enhance attendance, main to raised attainment and psychological wellbeing amongst college youngsters.
Why is attendance essential?
Being at school is essential to your youngster’s achievement, wellbeing, and wider growth. Proof exhibits that the scholars with the best attendance all through their time at school acquire the perfect GCSE and A degree outcomes.
Our analysis discovered that pupils who carried out higher each on the finish of major and secondary college missed fewer days than those that didn’t carry out as effectively. For instance, information from 2019 exhibits that 84% of Key Stage 2 pupils who had 100% attendance achieved the anticipated customary, in comparison with 40% of pupils who had been persistently absent throughout the important thing stage.
How is attendance for kids who’re home-schooled measured?
For those who take your youngster out of faculty to teach them at house, your native authority will start making enquiries as as to whether that schooling is appropriate.
At the moment, native authorities are inspired to maintain a document of kids within the space who’re educated someplace aside from at a faculty. We plan to make it obligatory for native authorities to do that.
Whereas most house schooling is of fine high quality, it will assist us spot and assist youngsters the place their schooling falls quick, ensuring all youngsters have the chance to study and thrive.