Richard Prime, the headteacher at Dame Elizabeth Cadbury College, explains the 6 steps colleges can take to assist guarantee unbelievable attendance on Fridays and through closing weeks of time period.
After the Covid-19 pandemic, one among our challenges was attendance drop off. We noticed a specific drop off each on Fridays, the place there may be clear proof of a sample of upper absence, and in the direction of the tip of time period particularly within the closing week.
Listed below are 6 actionable steps that we’ve got discovered to achieve success, and that colleges and trusts can take to assist guarantee attendance on Fridays and through closing week is unbelievable, not flagging.
Analyse your Friday and Christmas patterns
We glance again to closing weeks in earlier phrases, particularly within the Christmas interval. It helps to establish which pupils are typically off in closing weeks of time period, in order that we will goal further help and communications. Following the DfE’s day by day attendance knowledge monitoring challenge will help get on prime of your precise numbers.
Talk persistently the significance of a powerful end to the entire faculty
Be sure you utilise all communication channels to folks and pupils to emphasise that Fridays are a fifth of the training week. Conversely, half a Friday missed a fortnight is a tenth of the varsity yr. The identical holds for the final week – it’s 8% of the time period’s studying. It’s not simply necessary to consolidate learnings from the week or time period, but in addition for social connection and making a tradition of belonging at school.
Schedule studying and enrichment strategically
Exhibit that Fridays and closing weeks matter by treating the time as worthwhile. Some attendance hub colleges schedule their mock exams within the closing week of time period, for instance. Even merely guaranteeing enrichment is top of the range (not simply movies) or working further exhausting to incorporate extra loosely hooked up kids in actions like Christmas performs so that they really feel valued and engaged. We additionally discover that celebration assemblies within the closing week or on the ultimate day present a possibility to mirror on the successes of the half time period and supply a possibility for significant reward and rewards for pupils.
Additional consistency and rigour in follow-up
We’ve discovered that prompts and a heat welcome are essential. Practices corresponding to assembly kids on the gate and calls to folks should be carried out as nicely on Fridays and within the closing week of phrases as they’re on every other day or week.
You possibly can even enhance frequency of follow-up calls and messages throughout these intervals for any unexplained absence. The group of pupils with weak attendance within the closing week generally is a good beginning place for outreach engagement over the vacations and pre-term reminders in January. That is significantly vital the place time period isn’t beginning once more until a Tuesday.
Parental engagement
We maintain engagement with mother and father as constant as attainable – for instance sending weekly reminders to folks about upcoming Friday actions or involving mother and father within the planning of end-of-term occasions. Their involvement will help the household really feel engaged and valued, and therefore enhance the pupil’s attendance. Our ‘12 Days of Christmas Attendance’ incentive will embody a prize of a Christmas hamper – a deal with for the entire household. We even have began successfully reporting absence, which entails describing classes missed and being clear on what topics and enrichment and social alternatives the pupils misplaced out on.
Focused reward methods
Attendance rewards should be thought of rigorously – for instance entire yr prizes might imply that kids who face a long-term interval of sickness can by no means profit. We like the concept of utilizing ‘Friday Stars’, which recognises college students with constant Friday attendance, or offering a particular end-of-term celebration for these with good attendance within the closing week, giving the awards on the ultimate day of time period. Our ‘Halloween treats’ for these with 100% attendance within the week earlier than the October half-term proved standard and noticed attendance for the week rise above the nationwide common.
Additional studying
Coaching periods for brand new attendance steering
High suggestions and concepts for encouraging sturdy attendance
Working collectively to sort out attendance in rural communities
