Attendance Strategy

2010 - 2012

Introduction
Children’s Trust Framework
Rationale
Vision
Attendance Data
Partners and their Roles and Responsibilities 

Education Welfare Service 
Schools 
MAST 
Children’s Social Work Team 
Education Resource Team 
Healthy Schools 
Connexions 
Extended Services 
New Charter Housing 
Health 
Youth Service 
Young Carers Project 
COLT Team 
Teenage Pregnancy 
Youth Offending Team 
Greater Manchester Police 
EIG & CIG 
COMPASS Team 
Behaviour & Attendance Consultant 
Young People 
Parents 
Elected Members

Children Missing Education

Introduction
Rising Fives
Elective Home Education
Tracking

Useful Links

Introduction

This Attendance Strategy will set out Tameside’s multi agency commitment to improving school attendance. It is launched alongside the Children and Young Peoples Partnership Plan and will contribute to achieving the priorities set out in the plan, with particular reference to;

• Continue to raise attendance and attainments at all phases of learning with a strategic focus on vulnerable children and looked after children and continue to narrow the gap for the lowest achieving children.

It will also support the achievement of The Children’s Plan delivery goal that;

• By 2011 no Local Authority will have more than 5% of its secondary school pupils as persistent absentees.

The Children’s Trust Framework

The School Attendance Strategy forms part of the Children’s Trust Framework and all agencies involved in this Strategy are working in partnership to deliver the Children and Young People’s Plan. Tameside Children’s Trust’s vision for Tameside is that all agencies work together to improve the wellbeing of children and young people in the borough. They share a vision that is about children and young people aiming high and realising their ambitions with the support of their families and communities. The Trust want to achieve better outcomes for all, and recognise that the five Every Child Matters outcomes are dependant on each other in a cycle that becomes self- sustaining and will lead to inter-generational change.

The Trust’s agreed core purpose is to:

• Put children and young people at the centre of all we do.
• Work with and for children and young people and to always ask them what they need.
• Enable children and young people to have choices so that they can grow into full members of our community, being inspired and involved in all they do.
• Ensure that children and young people have equal chances in life, and that they have a voice in shaping their future.
• Ensure that parents and carers are listened to and their views acted upon.
• Make sure our services are accessible, accountable and reliable.

The Children’s Trust will work closely with other partnerships in the borough to ensure that our work with children and young people and the work of other partnerships complement each other. The Trust want to raise aspirations and skill levels, create a more prosperous borough, improve health outcomes and tackle issues such as poverty, crime and domestic violence.

Rationale

Absence from school can be the most complex area to address, as it is often the symptom of some other issue. Schools and/or attendance support services have the primary role in trying to identify the underlying cause of non-attendance and, once identified, it is essential to provide well co-ordinated, planned interventions from the range of services available within the Local Authority.

Absence from school can impact on the life chances of children and young people and is also a significant issue within the safeguarding agenda.

Pupils who are absent from school without authorisation are often pupils who are disengaged and disaffected, and therefore vulnerable. The impact of poor attendance may impact on the community, especially if pupils become involved in offending behaviours.

Low attendance is at the heart of the standards agenda. It impacts on the pupil’s attainment, future life opportunities and earnings as an adult.

Vision

That all children and young people in Tameside should be provided with a framework in which they can:

• Be healthy
• Stay safe
• Enjoy and achieve
• Make a positive contribution to society
• Experience social and economic well-being

Attendance Data

The Tameside average has been just below the national figure since 2006/2007.

Primary school attendance has been equal to or above the national average for the past 4 years.

The persistent absence figure is the percentage of the school population whose attendance is less than 80%.
Secondary school persistent absence is reported via NI87. The Local Authority target for year 2009/10 is 5.5% and 4.6% for 2010/11.

Persistent absence in Tameside Primary schools is in line with the national average.

The Local Authority is currently measured on LAC (for 12 months or more) who have missed 25 days or more from school. From September 2010 the criteria will change to the PA criteria (80%).

Attendance and Attainment

Key Stage 4 - % of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C inc A*-C GCSE English & Maths
in Attendance Groups

Key Stage 2 - Number of Pupils achieving L4+ English & Maths
in Attendance Groups

In 2008/2009, there were 3002 pupils in Year 11 in Tameside. These graphs show the correlation between good attendance and attainment. For a pupil whose attendance is less then 60%, the chance of achieving 5+ A*-C is just 3.2%.

Partners and their Roles and Responsibilities

Education Welfare Service (EWS)

The primary aim of the EWS is to promote the good attendance of all children who are registered in schools. It is recognised by the Service that social exclusion impacts on the educational achievements and welfare of pupils. The Service offers guidance to families and schools and seeks to enable all children to maximise their educational opportunities.

The EWS is the means by which the Authority responds to a range of statutory duties placed upon it. Outlined below are the main functions of the EWS.

To improve and maintain the regular attendance of all pupils the EWS will:-

• Work with schools to ensure that appropriate referrals are produced for pupils whose level or pattern of attendance is a cause for concern.
• Collect and analyse attendance data in order to identify trends and to allocate resources effectively.
• Devise and implement a variety of strategies aimed at improving attendance.
• Support schools to devise and implement their own strategies to improve attendance.
• Facilitate effective partnership between parents/carers and schools.
• Work with children and families using a variety of methods of intervention.
• Facilitate a termly Network meeting for Attendance Leaders.

To monitor and give advice to schools on registration and attendance procedures the EWS will:-

• Inspect registers twice a year and highlight areas of concern to school staff.
• Work with schools to ensure that systems for marking registers and authorising pupil absences are clear and consistently used by all staff.

To initiate formal action against parents/carers as appropriate the EWS will:-

• Formally advise parents/carers of their legal responsibilities with regard to school attendance.
• Represent the Authority at formal attendance meetings.
• Implement legal action against parents/carers in the Magistrates Court as required. If casework or other intervention strategies have been unsuccessful in securing regular attendance and/or the EWS considers that prosecution may bring about improvement in the child’s school attendance, then the Local Authority may choose to prosecute parents/carers under Section 444(1) or 444 (1A) of the Education Act 1996.
• Implement Attendance Order proceedings against parents/carers who have failed to nominate a school for their child, or failed to provide an appropriate education otherwise than at school.
• Apply for and execute parenting orders where directed by the Magistrates Court.
• Manage the issue of Penalty Notices in accordance with the Education (Penalty Notices) (England) regulations 2004, amended by the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
• Apply for Education Supervision Orders in the family court and to supervise as appropriate.

To have regard to the duty to safeguard the EWS will:-

• Be aware of the local guidance and the specific responsibilities within it.
• Work with other agencies to monitor children at risk where school attendance is an issue.
• Contribute to and attend Child Protection conferences and Core Group meetings where appropriate.
• Facilitate or attend Children and Family Meetings as appropriate.
• Complete and contribute to Common Assessment Framework Assessments and input into JASPER / Contact Point.
• Offer Child protection training to schools.
• Conduct an audit of safeguarding in schools which will assist schools to comply with their duties.
• Tracking Children Missing Education.

To promote the educational achievements and welfare of Looked After Children the EWS will:-

• Maintain an up to date record of Looked After Children.
• Monitor their attendance at school and intervene as necessary.
• Promote a positive approach towards school, wherever possible, by working in a multi-agency way.

To undertake the statutory duties in relation to children in employment and entertainment in line with current legislation, bye-laws and guidance.

• There is an allocation of EWO time to undertake the statutory duties.

To fulfil the implementation of the Authority's role in the Crime and Disorder Act the EWS will:-

• Participate in the multi agency Youth Offending Team.
• Facilitate truancy sweeps in conjunction with the police.
• Use data to link to identified youth crime and anti-social behaviour.

To track children missing from Education the EWS will:-

• Keep a record of children who can not be located.
• Investigate and liaise with other Local Authorities and Agencies in order to track missing children.

Schools

Schools in Tameside will:-

• Identify a designated member of the Senior Leadership Team to take responsibility for all attendance matters, including the setting and regular review of targets for the whole school, year/class groups and individual pupils.
• Implement efficient systems of registration which encourage children and parents/carers to account promptly for any absences.
• Ensure absences are only authorised where the school are satisfied that the absence was genuine.
• Provide a written school policy which sets a school target for improving attendance with reference to The Education (School Attendance Targets) (England) Regulations 2007.
• Develop attendance incentive schemes (individual and group awards etc.) in accordance with the needs of the school.
• Highlight important dates such as SATs in newsletters, letters home etc.
• Explain to pupils how poor attendance can impact on attainment.
• Monitor how the curriculum and ethos of the school impact on school attendance.
• Implement correct policy for children who are educated other than at school.
• Have an agreed policy for authorising holidays in term time. Any unauthorised absence for the purpose of a family holiday in term time of 10 school days or more should be referred to the EWO in line with Tameside’s Code of Conduct for the use of Fixed Penalty Notices.
• Support the statutory role of the EWS by ensuring advice and guidance is sought before undertaking any further supportive work with a pupil during the time it is open to the EWS e.g. reduced timetable.
• Put in place monitoring and referral procedures which ensure that children whose attendance is a cause for concern are identified early.
• Provide support through the school’s own pastoral systems, including appropriate contact with parents/carers.
• Ensure prompt referral to the EWS.
• Analyse attendance data, looking for emerging patterns of non-attendance.
• Provide the LA with accurate attendance data as required.

The Multi Agency Support Team (MAST)

This has evolved from the behaviour Improvement programme (BIP) and the behaviour Education Support Team (BEST). Improved attendance and higher levels of inclusion are key objectives of the work of this team which will have direct links with the EWS through collaborative multiagency working to promote positive outcomes for young people.

Children’s Social Work Team

Children’s Social Work (Specialist Services and Safeguarding) will ensure that attendance is a high priority within its strategic plans. During the completion of an assessment under the National Assessment Framework, the school attendance of a child should be considered, as well as any associated issues about behaviour and attainment. Any child who is not attending school or who does not have a school place should be notified immediately to the Admissions Section and the Education Welfare Department.

Good communication between Social Workers and colleagues within Services for Children and Young People and vice versa should ensure that cases for concern are identified at an earlier stage and that Children in Need are supported more effectively. A Child and Family Meeting can be called by any professional. Children’s Social Work will offer consultation in this process and will attend where appropriate.

The school attendance of all of Tameside’s Looked After Children (LAC) will be monitored. LAC causing concern will have targeted support from the necessary agencies. Every LAC should have a Personal Education Plan (PEP) which links with other plans and review processes.

It is a key priority to continue to reduce the number of LAC who are persistently missing education. This is being achieved by close liaison between the EWS, Children’s Social Work and the Education Resource Team in order to target those young people in need of support.

Foster Carers and Residential Child Care Workers will support school attendance and children’s attainment by promoting a positive view of school, ensuring that children are prepared for the school day and taking a keen interest in attainment and school events.

Education Resource Team

The Education Resource Team is a small team of experienced advisory teachers and Education Support Officers, who promote, monitor and enhance the education of children in care.

The responsibilities of the team are to:

• Liaise with Social Workers and schools, on all aspects of the welfare of a child in care including monitoring of attendance, as it impacts on education.
• Work to secure an appropriate school place for children where there is care placement movement or ensure that the barriers to attendance at the current school are removed, where it is more appropriate for a child to remain there.
• Provide advice and support for children at times of transition.
• Encourage attendance at appropriate education provision.
• Assist the Designated Teacher to set up effective Personal Education Plans with meaningful, challenging targets and effective interventions to support success.
• Challenge under-achievement and low expectations of children in care and provide advice and training to all those involved with the children, to ensure appropriate progression is being made and that the children are able to participate fully in a wide range of enriching and interesting activities within the wide remit of education.
• Help reduce the barriers to learning and in certain cases, where there is no alternative source of support, carry out direct support in school.
• Support young people facing exclusion.
• Provide statistical information on attendance to a range of professionals and to raise awareness of the needs and expectations of children in care, particularly where these are linked to education.

Healthy Schools

• Healthy schools, supports positive emotional health and wellbeing through a whole school approach that involves the community and a range of professionals.
• Referral pathways and training are given to staff in schools to support young people vulnerable to and involved in substance misuse. Universal and targeted education and projects are delivered to support this work.

Connexions

Connexions provide a universal and targeted advice and guidance service for young people aged 13 to 19. A key objective for the service is to reduce the number of young people becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) and the number of those with an unknown destination. Named Personal Advisers are linked with all secondary schools, special schools and Pupil Referral Units in Tameside. They work closely with other professionals, including Education Welfare Officers, in order to identify the support needs of individual pupils, to provide confidential one to one interviews, group work sessions, referral to other agencies and tracking and support post 16.

An annual Partnership Agreement between the EWS and Connexions defines the responsibilities and targets of each service, identifies opportunities for joint work and sets standards for the exchange of information and the effective handover of clients at the end of Year 11.

In autumn 2009, Connexions and Education Welfare produced a good practice guide for senior managers in schools, “Preventing NEET in Tameside”, which illustrates the link between poor levels of attendance and post 16 NEET.

Extended Services

The Extended Service work with children aged 0-19 years and their families. Support is provided through Children Centres where day to day routines, including regular attendance at nursery, are encouraged. If a child misses support at an early stage this may significantly affect their entry into school life and later on their achievements.

This continues through the parenting work delivered across the Borough. There is a range of parenting support delivered, on a one to one and group basis. The objective of supporting parents is to increase self esteem and parental confidence to achieve a positive change in family relationships. Parent Support Advisers actively support parents where attendance has been identified as an issue and work in partnership with the EWS. It is seen as important that routines are set at an early stage for many reasons. Support for families to develop positive attitudes towards nurseries, school and learning are a key element to children’s development.

New Charter Housing

New Charter Housing and other Registered Social Landlords can share vital information regarding concerns about children out of school. They may have knowledge of areas where truants are reported or Housing Officers may have observed children at home who appear to be out of school. It is important that any concerns are shared with the EWS. Also, information sharing regarding forwarding addresses is necessary on occasions where children go missing from education and the whereabouts of a child is unknown. In such circumstances liaison with the LEA Tracking Officer will be necessary in order to promote the safety and well being of those children. More work is needed to engage and involve other Registered Social Landlords operating in the Borough, via the Strategic Housing Partnership, in maintaining and further developing this strategy.

New Charter’s Cornerstone Family Intervention Project will continue to have an important role is improving attendance of children who live in the most complex and challenging households by providing intensive interventions to support the work of Education Welfare and other key agencies.

Health

Health Visitors and School Nurses can provide information regarding children who are suspected to be out of school.

All schools have a named School Nurse.

School Nurses attend Illness panels and can support schools and parents to help improve children’s attendance. A process will be agreed with the School Health Service for attendance at panels, including advanced notice and the names of the children to be discussed.

School Nurses will initiate and monitor health care plans in school for children with medical conditions where indicated.

In certain circumstances, with parental consent, health professionals may be able to share information regarding medical reasons for absence.

Where there are safeguarding concerns, information will be shared as required in ‘Working Together’.

There are occasions when the EWS will need to consult with G.P’s and/or paediatricians regarding the validity of a child’s absence from school, this will only be in certain cases where concern is significant. Confidential information regarding medical conditions etc will not generally be requested by the EWS, simply a yes or no to the question “Are their medical grounds to support the number of absences?” There will also be occasions when the Community Paediatricians will be requested to conduct a medical assessment on behalf of the EWS. This may help to identify areas of support necessary for a child.

Support for parents and children regarding Healthy Eating and Lifestyles will also impact on attendance levels in some cases and may be accessed through Health Mentors and School Nurses. Health Mentors will provide brief interventions to vulnerable children. Priorities are teenage pregnancy, obesity, alcohol, drug abuse and emotional health and well being.

It is seen as useful and good practice for Specialists, dealing with more chronic conditions, to be informed of attendance concerns by the EWS as it helps them to incorporate this into their consultations.

Parenting Groups run by Health are accessed regularly by the EWS to support the arrangements for Parenting Orders and support families where school attendance is an issue.

Youth Service

The Youth Service will continue to play an important role in conducting Social Education with Young People with the objective of increasing confidence and self esteem which in turn should lead to better attendance. The Service works with Young People in schools on a limited basis and in the community in the evenings and at weekends. They will continue to work closely with The Pupil Referral Units to provide packages of group support. The Service will continue to support young people at risk of exclusion, running the ‘Positive Activities for Young People Scheme’, offering individual support, group work, award work and direction to appropriate services and projects. The service works with partners to increase the positive activities offer to young people as part of integrated youth support services.

Young Carers Project

The Young Carers Project offers support to young people who help to care for someone in their families. They provide activities so that young carers have the opportunity to have a break and to mix with their peers. They also work with other services to ensure young carers do not have inappropriate responsibilities and they are able to attend school regularly. The project facilitates a network of named staff from schools to ensure young carers are identified and that their needs are met at school.

Consolidation of Learning Team (COLT)

COLT liaise with the Admissions Department with regard to securing school places for all pupils from abroad and Traveller, Refugee and Asylum Seeker pupils of statutory school age. A named worker for the team will monitor the school attendance of pupils and carry out home visits following referrals from either schools or colleagues. A practice of joint working with the EWS has developed allowing families to benefit from shared expertise. Children who are from a family of occupational Travellers who have a permanent residence in the borough will be provided with Distance Learning to complete whilst travelling. This work is assembled in joint co-operation with teachers from the children’s base school and a worker from COLT. These pupils are contacted regularly by COLT to ensure work is completed and to keep communication on-going with families. A worker from COLT will carry out home visits with mainstream Education Welfare Officer’s if necessary or feedback information to schools and other Education Welfare Officer’s as and when necessary. This practice is also applied to Refugee and Asylum Seeker Pupils. The marking of school registers will be monitored in conjunction with the EWS.

Teenage Pregnancy

School age pupils who become pregnant and opt to continue with the pregnancy are encouraged and supported to remain in full time education at their school for as long as they are fit and able to do so. The Teenage Pregnancy Re-integration Officer, who is employed by Services for Children and Young People, but is based in the Connexions Centre, supports these pupils, their families and partners to access the relevant support services as well as offering information, advice and support on a range of issues related to teen pregnancy, young parenthood and education. When the young woman has had her baby and is well enough to return to school, she is encouraged and supported to do so. The Teenage Pregnancy Reintegration Officer also offers information, advice and support to schools to help them to fulfil their duties, obligations and responsibilities towards this particularly vulnerable client group.

Youth Offending Team

The Youth Offending Team liases directly with the EWS and the School Admissions Department with regard to securing places for young people without provision when returning from custodial sentences.

The Youth Justice Board Performance measure is ‘to ensure that 90% of young offenders who are supervised by the YOT are either in full time education, training or employment’. This is National Indicator N145 and the baseline year was set for 2007/08 of 61.7% young people in suitable education, training and employment. A target of 70% was set for year end 2008/09 and Tameside achieved 72.3%. In the nine month period of the current year 2009/10 Tameside has achieved 71.2%.

Tameside YOT has a part time member of staff from the EWS who links directly to schools, special educational establishments and specialist educational support services. Whilst compiling Court and Referral Panel reports and supervision plans, YOT Officers have regard to school attendance, behaviour and achievement. There are links with education providers in custodial establishments and the team operate the First Base provision which provides for Year 11 pupils.

Parenting Orders are applied for and run by the service and liaison and resources are shared between YOT and the EWS regarding their execution.

Greater Manchester Police

Greater Manchester Police work alongside Tameside EWS in conducting Truancy Patrols/Sweeps within the Borough. Community Beat Officers and PCSO’s will continue to support the EWS and schools where appropriate. Both GMP neighbourhood policing teams and the EWS support the Safer School Partnership arrangements and will support targeted interventions with identified young people. Truancy Sweeps will be planned to take account of seasonal data and geographic anti-social behaviour and youth crime hot spots. Young people found during sweeps are returned to school or their home address by the police and EWO’s. Reports are then prepared for schools or neighbouring Education Welfare Departments where appropriate. Information will be shared with the Crime and Disorder Reduction partnership (CDRP) analysts to inform Neighbourhood Action Team (NAT) meetings which are attended by a wide range of operational partners to address local problems together. Police work closely with Trading Standards and Licensing Enforcement staff to reduce and prevent consumption of alcohol by young people. Police will make active use of new legislation to deal with those persistently found in possession of alcohol or found in circumstances where activity could lead to disorder through Direction to Leave powers. A restorative approach will be used wherever possible. Tameside police work closely with Youth Services and the Children's Out of Hours team under the Joint Outreach and Operation Staysafe elements of the Youth Crime Action Plan, where officers address antisocial behaviour hotspots with Youth outreach workers, directing young people to positive activities and using police protection powers should children and young people be found at significant risk of harm. This has led to a reduction in youth-related antisocial behaviour and an increase in young people attending positive youth activities on Friday and Saturday nights.

EIG & CIG

Community Safety Unit Early Intervention Group (EIG) and Case Intervention Group (CIG) both groups meet monthly to discuss individuals who are causing concern due to anti social behaviour and/or criminality. The EIG plans intervention and prevention strategies, which may involve Acceptable Behaviour Contracts being drawn up with young people and their families. When the contracts include information and plans regarding school attendance they are drawn up with consultation from the EWS. The CIG deals with more serious issues of anti-social behaviour and/or criminality which may affect the community, with a view to taking enforcement action, which could include an application for an Anti Social Behaviour Order. A range of agencies such as Greater Manchester Police, Social Care, Education Welfare, Tameside Patrollers, Youth Service, Registered Social Landlords, Connexions, YOT, Groundwork Tameside, Victim Support and Probation Service are members of the groups. Where there are additional issues linked with attendance, these are discussed at a termly meeting with the Neighbourhood Anti-social Behaviour Officer, Education Welfare Officer, PCSO and usually a member of the senior management team from the school. This ensures that young people, their parents/carers and schools benefit from this type of early intervention which can include referrals to specialist agencies, CAF processes and links with PSP processes.

COMPASS Team

Partners of the Tameside Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership have begun setting up four area-based, multi-agency, Early Intervention Teams across Tameside. They will be called COMPASS teams. The focus of activity for these teams will be early intervention and prevention, ensuring that children and young people grow up in strong, healthy families supported by vibrant and active communities. In terms of the Child in Need Framework, their activity will be at the boundary of Levels 2 and 3.

COMPASS teams will support the attendance agenda by providing early interventions for children and young people who are beginning to develop difficulties which might result in a disruption to the continuity of their schooling for a variety of reasons. One source of early alerts will be schools’ data on behaviour and attendance, attainment and participation. Schools and other partners will be able to secure a fixed-term intervention for a child or young person who seems to be at risk of not attending, with the aim of averting future difficulties.

Behaviour & Attendance Consultant (B&A)

The B&A Consultant provides support in schools relating to their policies, procedures and systems. The consultant supports the National Strategies agenda for Behaviour, Attendance and SEAL.

Young People

The Behaviour and Attendance Consultant discussed attendance with pupils from Year 5, 6, 7 and 10.

Reasons for not wanting to come to school:

• Falling out with friends
• Frightened of being bullied
• Exams – nerves/anxiety
• Peer pressure on how you look
• Being tired
• Shouting/nasty teachers
• Bullied about what you wear on non uniform day

Reasons to want to go to school:

• Having friends
• Wanting to learn
• Enjoying learning
• Not starting too early
• Being an escort/Having responsibility
• Being involved with peer mentoring
• Class assemblies

What schools can do to help:

• Have a school bus
• Have a school bus that is on time!
• Having more opportunity to talk to adults
• Adults being more aware of the problems and feelings
• Having more choices earlier in school
• Email communication
• Having a worry box
• Understanding some of the difficulties such as:
• Punctuality
• Having to look after younger brothers and sisters
• Having to stay off school to look after siblings or care for parent

Parents

The Family Focus Group at Longdendale High School was consulted regarding the parent/carers role in securing good attendance.

It was agreed that the guidance given by the DCSF was relevant and useful.

• Talk regularly to your child about school and how they feel about it. They are more likely to attend if they feel supported and their anxieties are listened to.
• Be particularly watchful and supportive in the run-up to tests.
• Check the homework diary regularly for gaps as well as completed activities.
• Always call and send in a note if you keep your child off school. Teachers notice when parents/carers respond more slowly than usual.
• Know the school’s routine for alerting parents/carers to absence. For example, some schools use an automatic telephone alert.
• The school never lets pupils out of school during the usual hours without telling parents/carers. Always follow it up if your child comes home early.
• Keep your own note of days absent. Check the attendance figures quoted on the school report and that they add up.
• If you have suspicions, the school will check the register for you. The school office staff usually do this and will be discreet.
• If you do realise you have a problem with your child’s attendance, it’s best to be sure before you talk to them. So, if you can, check with the school.
• When you talk to your child about a confirmed absence, keep calm but say that you know an absence has occurred and listen to the explanation. There is always an explanation. It may not impress you, but it counted enough with your child to make them play truant.
• Pursue the reason for the non-attendance as well as the non-attendance itself.
• Only grant days at home for genuine illness.
• Help your child to catch up with missed work so that they realise that they can’t miss work even if they miss school.
• Praise good attendance, for example going in promptly even when the first lesson is their worst lesson, or when there’s something else they might have liked to do.

Elected Members

Elected Members have a strong commitment to the Best Outcomes for children and young people in the Borough and will continue to support the work of all agencies in promoting School Attendance in order to enhance life chances for the future.

Children Missing Education

Introduction

This section deals with pupil’s who are not on a school roll, or who are missing, whereabouts unknown.

Section 436A (inserted before 437 in Chapter 2, Part 6 of the Education Act 1996 (school attendance) as amended by the Education and inspections Act 2006) requires all local authorities to make arrangements to enable them to establish (so far as it possible to do so) the identities of children residing in their area who are not receiving a suitable education. In relation to children, ‘suitable education’ means efficient full-time education suitable to her/his age, ability and aptitude and to any special educational needs the child may have.

The duty applies in relation to children of compulsory school age who are not on a school roll and who are not receiving a suitable education otherwise than being at school, for example, at home, privately, or in alternative provision.

The purpose of the duty is to make sure that children not receiving, or at risk of not receiving, a suitable education are identified quickly and effective tracking systems and support arrangements are put in place. In line with the Children’s Plan expectation that all Children’s Trusts will have in place high quality arrangements by 2010 for all children and young people who need additional help, a speedy response when problems are first identified is crucial to implementing this duty. The longer a child misses out on education, the more likely those problems will become entrenched and the more difficult it can be to respond effectively to their needs. Early intervention will enable the local authority and other partners in the Children’s Trust to ensure that action is taken to provide any child identified with suitable education and will also trigger activity between partner agencies that puts in place measures to ensure the safety and well-being of a child.

Tameside has in place a number of systems to ensure identification of children resident in Tameside who are not on a school roll. The co-ordination of school transfers will assist in tracking pupils between local authority areas. Tameside’s co-ordinated in year transfer scheme applies to all admission authorities in the borough and is available on Tameside’s website: http://www.tameside.gov.uk/schools/admissions

Rising Fives

The School Admissions section has a procedure in place to identify rising fives who have not accessed a school place. All rising fives should put their name down at school to enable them to access the school admission system easily. The names of children on these lists are compared to other information sources within the Council to identify children who have not applied for a school place and appropriate steps are taken to ensure families are contacted to give support on accessing a school place. Collaboration with the Tracking Officer will ensure that appropriate support is given to assist parents in applying for a school place.

Elective Home Education

In England and Wales parents have the primary responsibility for ensuring that their children receive an effective education. Although this responsibility is usually delegated to schools, some parents choose to exercise it directly by providing an education based at home. Tameside has a robust and effective system for monitoring pupils who are home educated and this can be found on Tameside’s website: http://www.tameside.gov.uk/education/athome

Tracking

When a pupil on role at a Tameside school moves without giving a forwarding address, school should firstly make every endeavour to trace the pupil and then refer the case to the EWS. When all avenues have been exhausted the pupil is then referred to the Pupil Tracking Officer.

The Pupil Tracking Officer will (in line with the CME procedures) make enquiries to other agencies including Health, Housing, Benefits Agencies and other Local Authorities. When a child has been successfully traced the details of new school and address are forwarded to the Tameside school to enable them to forward their records.

Useful Links

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/

http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/behaviour/

http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/educationandinspectionsact/

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/ete/schools/childrenmissingeducation/childrenmissingeducation/

http://www.tameside.gov.uk/schools/admissions

http://www.tameside.gov.uk/education/athome