Action at school level

To ensure the most effective fast track to attendance process, schools should:

  • review current attendance policy and practice against Effective attendance practice in schools: An overview and make any necessary changes
  • ensure there is a clear escalation of intervention within the school which is understood by all teaching and non-teaching staff, pupils and parents
  • identify clear triggers, pupil and parent contact points and decision-making points for each stage of the process, for example when to consider using a parenting contract
  • agree with the LA at what point or points the LA should become involved in individual cases, for example where absence reaches 20 per cent or more
  • regularly review and adjust their processes as appropriate, for example the absence levels that trigger school-level actions.

To ensure the most effective fast track to attendance process, LAs should:

  • review their current attendance policy and practice against Effective attendance practice at LA level and make any necessary changes
  • identify clear triggers and decision-making points for each stage of the process, for example, when to consider issuing a penalty notice
  • agree with schools at what point or points the LA should become involved in individual cases, for example, where absence reaches 20 per cent or more
  • coordinate any multi-agency and cross-border intervention required, for example, by agreeing respective roles and responsibilities of key participants, fixing date, venue and securing agreement to implement identified solutions
  • work with magistrates, schools and other stakeholders to ensure appropriate engagement with the process, for example, by communicating clearly the rationale for the process and disseminating any other information required
  • keep their and their schools' fast track to attendance systems under review, adjusting these as appropriate, for example inter-agency communications, absence levels and any other factors that trigger LA involvement
  • ensure that there is a clear system in place to measure the impact of actions and interventions (short and long term) on attendance used by the LA
  • establish, or where appropriate review, cross-border protocols with neighbouring LAs, should the pupil attend in one area and reside in another.