Children’s Services
Manchester
Attendance Strategy
1 Overall Purpose Of The Strategy
1.1
Manchester is a vibrant and economical y successful
1.4
The Attendance Strategy has been developed to help
city. In order to benefit from the opportunities the
the Local Authority, schools, settings and other
city offers, it is important that children and young
services work in a more coherent way, making the
people are successful at school, leaving with the
best use of resources available, in order to ensure that:
skil s and qualifications that enable them to secure
• All children and young people can make the most
employment, continue with their education or access
of the opportunities provided by attending school
appropriate training courses. Ensuring that children
Standards continue to rise and improvements in
go to school every day will help achieve this ambition.
attainment are sustained
1.2
Children’s Services work in an integrated way with
• Overall attendance improves and levels of
schools, settings and partners to secure positive
persistent absence reduce
outcomes for children and young people in the five
•
Every Child Matters outcome areas: Staying Safe,
Children are safeguarded because they attend
Being Healthy, Enjoying and Achieving, Making a
school regularly
Positive Contribution and Achieving Economic
• Parents understand the contribution they can
Wel being.
make to their child’s wel being, achievement and
good attendance.
1.3
There is a strong correlation between good school
attendance and achieving positive outcomes for
1.5
This Strategy document:
children. It is recognised that attending school
• Describes the Manchester context
regularly can be a protective factor for children and
• Identifies the role of the Local Authority, schools,
young people. Poor school attendance is a recurrent
settings and partners in improving attendance
theme in Serious Case Reviews undertaken by
• Describes the key strands of the Strategy.
Manchester Safeguarding Children Board. It is
therefore important to ensure that schools and
1.6
Related Strategies that have a direct impact on school
settings offer a safe environment, positive
attendance include:
relationships, high-quality teaching and learning, and
• The Emotional Welbeing and
opportunities to develop social and emotional skil s.
Behaviour Strategy
• The Parenting Strategy
• The Extended Schools Strategy
• The Community Cohesion Strategy
• The Crime and Disorder Strategy.
2 Manchester Attendance Strategy
2 The Manchester Context
2.1
While Manchester has a vibrant city centre, it has 25 of
and primary schools alike. Our children also have
the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country.
some of the highest rates of persistent absence
Subsequently, issues such as poor physical and mental
(attendance below 80 per cent) in the country
health, complex family issues and generational
(Appendix A).
unemployment are often underlying causes of poor
2.3
Improving attendance and reducing absence,
school attendance. While ensuring that regular school
especial y persistent absence, is a priority for
attendance of pupils is recognised as a parent’s
Manchester and critical to the city’s ambitions to raise
responsibility, in cases where additional needs are
standards, narrow the attainment gap and safeguard
identified, schools and services will need to work
all children.
together to support children and their families.
2.4
The key strands of the Strategy are described and
2.2
Despite the efforts made to improve pupil
developed in Section 3. They can be summarised as
attendance, this continues to be a significant
Strand 1: parents; Strand 2: attendance and school
chal enge for many schools in Manchester.
improvement; Strand 3: the integration of attendance
Manchester’s figures for overall absence are higher
within Children’s Services; Strand 4: data and the use
than the national average in primary schools and
of data; and Strand 5: developing the skil s of the
secondary schools and higher than in other local
workforce. Emotional health and wel being is a theme
authorities that are statistical y very similar to
that underpins all strands within the Strategy.
Manchester. The issue is one that affects secondary
Manchester Attendance Strategy 3
3.1 Strand One: Parents
3.1.1 For the purpose of this document, the term parent
3.1.5 Poor school attendance is a safeguarding matter and
includes carers and all those with parental
where parents are not able to ensure that their child
responsibility.
attends school regularly, additional and targeted
3.1.2 Parents have the responsibility and therefore a vital
short-term support will be required; this might take
role to play in ensuring that their child attends school
the form of a Parenting Course. This level of support
regularly, is on time and is ready to learn. Engaging
should be offered at the earliest opportunity when
positively with parents at all stages of their child’s
concerns first emerge. Where appropriate, the
education is a key driver for the success of the
Common Assessment Framework (CAF) should be
Attendance Strategy.
used to assess and identify appropriate multi-agency
support for the child and family. This will help to
3.1.3 Positive relationships between the school and parents
identify the underlying causes of poor school
will help to ensure good attendance. Schools need to
attendance and ensure that appropriate solutions are
be accessible and develop a wide range of effective
identified and parents and pupils are supported to
strategies to ensure that relationships are built with
effectively participate in this process.
all parents. This can include the use of Family SEAL
(Social Emotional Aspects of Learning), a family or
3.1.6 The Education Act 1996 places a legal responsibility
parent support worker, training for school staff and
on parents to ensure their children receive a suitable
regular consultation with parents.
education and attend school regularly if their child is
a registered pupil. Where appropriate, schools and
3.1.4 Through a continued focus on developing positive
the Local Authority will move to more assertive
and responsible parenting outlined in Manchester’s
intervention. Schools will be supported and training
Parenting Strategy, parents will be provided with
will be provided for schools deciding to use parenting
high-quality information through The Family
contracts and penalty notices, and in preparing cases
Information Service, libraries, health centres, early
for prosecution.
years settings and schools. This will include
information about the importance of their child
attending school. The Local Authority is working in
partnership with schools to give clear messages to
parents and is developing a range of guidance
relating to school attendance.
4 Manchester Attendance Strategy
3.2 Strand Two: Attendance and
School Improvement
Schools
3.2.3 Schools have a key role to play in the early
identification of patterns of poor attendance and
3.2.1 Schools are the key universal children’s service
for taking action at an individual pupil, cohort,
that children and young people experience and that
departmental and whole-school level. Systems and
can positively influence their lives and emotional
procedures for encouraging regular attendance should
wel being. A positive ethos, the quality of the
be clearly set out in each school’s Attendance Policy
curriculum, the organisation and engaging delivery of
and make clear links with the Continuum of Need
teaching and learning all contribute to school being a
Framework, Learning, Behaviour, Health, Anti-bul ying
safe and secure environment and a place children
and Emotional Wel being Policies. The Attendance
want to be. Building strong relationships with parents
Policy should identify how individual cases are
and engaging them in their child’s education will also
managed, how the school works proactively with
help secure good attendance. Regular attendance at
parents and pupils to ensure that they understand
school makes a critical contribution to safeguarding
why attendance is important, as wel as include an
children and securing good outcomes. We want our
escalation of interventions that wil be used.
schools to promote a culture of good attendance and
to work in partnership with children and young
3.2.4 The Local Authority strongly recommends that all
people, their families, Children’s Services and other
schools adopt a ‘Distributed Leadership’ model of
agencies to improve attendance.
managing attendance, with all staff having a clear role
and responsibility for improving attendance and
3.2.2 Providing children with the opportunities to develop
reducing persistent absence. Staff should be
positive social and emotional skil s and resilience is
supported to implement this model through
crucial in addressing individual needs and achieving
professional development opportunities, such as
the five Every Child Matters (ECM) outcomes. Research
reflective practice, coaching and the shadowing of
increasingly demonstrates that positive emotional
others. This approach also includes:
health and wel being are key factors in affecting social
•
development, school attendance and educational
Identifying a senior member of staff as the
attainment. Embedding programmes such as SEAL
Attendance Leader
(Social Emotional Aspects of Learning), UK Resilience
• Identifying specific groups of PA (persistently
and Healthy Schools will support school improvement.
absent) pupils
• Completing the National Strategies self-evaluation
framework each half-term
• Identifying specific actions for each half-term
• Implementing a scale of escalating interventions
that are understood by pupils, their families
and staff
• Monitoring the impact of actions taken.
Manchester Attendance Strategy 5
The Local Authority
3.2.5 Through the process of self-evaluation the school will
3.2.8 The Attendance Team is responsible for undertaking
identify priorities, which will be validated by the
annual audits of pupil registers to ensure compliance
School Improvement Partner (SIP). These will include
and the integrity of attendance data for the pupil
targets for reducing overall absence and persistent
census. Schools wil receive a minimum of four weeks’
absence where the school has been identified as a
notice prior to the audit and wil be provided with a
priority school. The Integrated Support Plan (InSup) is
self-evaluation tool to review their practice. On
the tool by which Local Authority support is agreed
completion of the audit a final report outlining the
with schools fol owing school self-evaluation. There is
findings and any recommendations wil be sent to the
an expectation that in schools where attendance is
Headteacher, Chair of Governors, School Effectiveness
identified as a priority, Local Authority support will be
Officer and the Education Services Management Team.
recorded in the InSup.
3.2.9 The Local Authority will support schools in taking a
3.2.6 The Local Authority has a clear role, through the
rigorous line in reducing absence. While the
School Effectiveness Officers, to chal enge and
predominant focus is always to build strong positive
support Headteachers and senior leaders to ensure
relationships between parents, pupils and education
that the measures taken to improve attendance and
providers, the Local Authority will prosecute parents/
reduce persistent absence are effective.
carers where it is deemed appropriate.
3.2.7 The Local Authority ensures that the Attendance
3.2.10 Support for schools for learning, behaviour and
Team (Education Services) efficiently and effectively
attendance is available through Traded Services.
discharges the Local Authority statutory functions
Schools can commission bespoke support using the
relating to attendance. These include:
school’s budget. Examples include:
• Analysing data from schools, providing reports
• Consultancy and assessments
for the Director of Children’s Services and others,
• Developing preventative early intervention
reporting on the number of penalty notices
strategies
issued, etc.
• Support and advice on establishing and
• Prosecuting cases for non-attendance
maintaining effective systems and interventions
in line with legal and statutory requirements
to improve school attendance and reduce
• Executing post-prosecution interventions,
persistent absence
parenting orders and monitoring conditional
• Support to develop processes involved in issuing
discharges
penalty notices
• Conducting attendance audits annualy
• Guidance on standard procedures to ensure case
• Providing training on legal and statutory
management processes are robust, for example,
requirements
how to record actions taken in individual cases to
• Implementing Child Employment and
build up a pre-court file. Schools can either
Entertainment functions
prepare cases for court themselves or commission
•
support from Traded Services.
Developing and co-ordinating city-wide
campaigns and initiatives
• Co-ordinating truancy sweeps and liaising with
relevant agencies.
6 Manchester Attendance Strategy
3.3 Strand Three: Integration of
Attendance Work Within Children’s
Services and Partner Agencies
3.3.1 Through the implementation of this Attendance
reviews, care planning meetings and at LAC statutory
Strategy, Children’s Services will take a lead in aligning
reviews. Staff in children’s homes and foster parents
the work of services, schools and other partners to
are expected to support and promote school
improve attendance. Everyone who works with
attendance.
children, young people and their families has a role to
play. These roles should complement each other and
work together to support raised attendance.
3.3.2 Our determination to improve school attendance will
impact on the way that resources are aligned and the
Children and Young People’s Plan resourcing strategy
will be informed by attendance priorities.
3.3.3 The Education Service, through the School
Effectiveness Officer and the Core Attendance Team,
will support and chal enge schools in relation to
improving attendance. Establishing and maintaining
good attendance is a school effectiveness issue and is
a critical element of the standards and school
improvement agenda.
3.3.4 The work of the Children’s Services District Teams
supports the drive to improve attendance.
Staff are aware of the importance of children and
young people attending school and understand the
issues that contribute to poor attendance and
persistent absence.
3.3.5 All staff within Children’s Services should work
within the Continuum of Need Framework and
use the Common Assessment Framework (CAF)
to co-ordinate services around the child where
multi-agency support is required.
3.3.6 The District Teams (health, children and families and
education) have a clear understanding about the
attendance priorities within their locality/district,
and district plans will address attendance. Integrating
services can have a positive impact on the quality
of support for families with a range of additional
needs that impact negatively on their child’s
education and attendance.
3.3.7 Social workers and other professionals who have
responsibility for providing oversight of ‘Children in
Need’, ‘Children in Need of Protection’ and ‘Looked
after Children (LAC)’ ensure that securing regular
school attendance is addressed at case planning
Manchester Attendance Strategy 7
3.3.8 Services and key partners that have the potential to
The Youth Service
impact on attendance outcomes include the
The Integrated Youth Support and Targeted Youth Support
fol owing:
programmes support the development of enriching
Sure Start Centres (Early Years)
experiences, which will enable young people to develop
Engagement with young children and their families through
better outcomes, including positive behaviours in relation
a local Sure Start Centre is a key opportunity to work with
to attendance.
parents to ensure that they understand the importance of
Connexions
their role in ensuring good attendance at school. Staff
The Connexions Service supports young people to successful y
working in these provisions are well placed to support
engage in education, employment and training.
parents and to emphasise the crucial role parents play in their
The voluntary and community sector
child’s learning and development. When children start school,
The voluntary and community sector works with many
children’s centre staff can support the transition, working with
children and young people, including those who are not ful y
the school staff to ensure a positive start, which includes
engaged with the education process. This resource is often not
good attendance.
ful y recognised and their membership on the District Panels
NHS Manchester
provides an opportunity to co-ordinate resources and
Health Services and Children’s Services work closely together
interventions on a more targeted basis to meet identified
in the context of developing integrated approaches within
district and locality needs.
districts. All health professionals have an important role to play
Youth Offending Service
in supporting good attendance and chal enging reasons for
Persistent non-attendance heightens the possibility of young
poor or non-attendance. Consideration should always be
people being involved in criminal activity. Closer liaison
given to making routine medical appointments for children
between YOS, Education Services and schools can ensure
out of school hours. The Public Health Service supports
that each young person known to YOS is afforded the
schools in achieving the National Healthy School Standard and
best opportunity to attend school or a suitable
curriculum development, eg. Sex and Relationship Education.
alternative provision.
Extended Schools
Greater Manchester Police
Parent Support Advisers based within the Extended Schools
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is committed to making
Team will support parents, including where there are concerns
Manchester safer: respecting, reassuring and responding to
about poor attendance.
local communities. The police work with partners to identify
those young people failing to attend school and who are in
danger of becoming involved in crime. The Safer Schools
Partnership places officers in schools and has helped to build
the relationships with young people and address some
attendance issues.
8 Manchester Attendance Strategy
3.4 Strand Four: Data and the
Use of Data
3.4.1 The Local Authority will work with all schools to
3.4.4 To improve the accuracy and quality of the data set,
ensure that data returns are both timely and accurate.
the ‘ONE’ system is being implemented across the
3.4.2 Data is available to schools and the Local Authority
whole of Education Services as a major tool for
at school, cohort and individual child level. Through
capturing the support provided by the Local
improved analysis and better understanding of data
Authority for schools (using the Education Plan
by individual schools and by the Local Authority,
Monitoring module) and for individual children
patterns and trends will be identified and
(through the Children’s Services Support module).
interventions planned. The data will be shared
with all partners.
3.4.3 The main focus within this strategy is to ensure that
schools understand and own their data, analyse it
accurately, identify trends and compare it with the
national picture, have a clear picture of the reasons
for absence, understand their attendance profile,
and have in place actions for improvement. The Local
Authority will also analyse school data and work
with schools and partners to address issues raised
by the analysis.
Manchester Attendance Strategy 9
3.5 Strand Five: Developing the
Skills of the Workforce
3.5.1 We need to ensure that staff in schools, settings and
3.5.4 Through Behaviour and Attendance networks, the
District Teams have the knowledge, understanding
Local Authority, working in partnership with schools,
and skil s to meet the needs of our young people.
will provide information for School Attendance
They also need to have opportunities to problem-
Leaders that will enable them to continue to develop
solve, reflect on practice, coach and shadow others.
their skil s and understanding, as well as share
3.5.2 Training on communication with parents will be
effective practice between schools within and outside
developed and made available for school staff,
the Local Authority. Schools will be provided with
particularly in relation to behaviour and attendance
further training to support them with the effective
issues. Other training to be developed and made
use and analysis of their data. A range of training
available for staff will include learning from Serious
courses for Learning, Behaviour and Attendance is
Case Reviews linked to poor school attendance.
also available for schools through Traded Services.
3.5.3 In schools, staff with lead responsibility for attendance
3.5.5 Training for Governors will be provided by the School
may wish to obtain the qualification provided by the
Effectiveness Officer and individual governing bodies
National Programme of Specialist Leaders – Behaviour
will be able to request bespoke training in relation
and Attendance (NPSL-BA). The Local Authority is
to attendance.
committed to supporting the continued rol -out of
3.5.6 Training for staff in District Teams (health and
this training programme. Local Authority staff
children and families), staff in children’s homes and
working with children and young people will be
carers of Looked After Children will be provided on
trained to meet the National Occupational Standards
an ongoing basis.
requirements.
3.5.7 A systematic training programme for staff in other
services will be available to ensure our partners have
sufficient knowledge about attendance to offer
advice and/or support as appropriate.
10 Manchester Attendance Strategy
4 Monitoring the Attendance
Strategy and Action Plan
4.1
Not every part of the city and every school require the
4.2
The Attendance Board will monitor the Strategy
same level of support to improve school attendance.
and Action Plan. The Deputy Director of Children’s
Action will be careful y targeted to have the
Services will chair the Board. Membership includes
maximum effect through the deployment of staff and
representation from Chief Executive’s Department,
other resources. An Action Plan has been developed
Children’s Services, NHS Manchester, schools, Greater
and will be updated on a regular basis. This will
Manchester Police and the voluntary sector. Report
address the strands identified in the National Overall
on progress is made to the Children’s Board.
Absence/Persistent Absence Evaluation framework.
Appendix A
Attendance Data 2005-2009
Attendance data from academic years 2005/06, 2006/07 and data for 2007/08
that relates to the autumn and spring terms are shown in the table below.
Overall
Overall
Persistent
Persistent
Overall
absence
absence
absence
absence
2007/08
2005/06
2006/07
2006/07
2007/08
%
%
%
%
%
Manchester Primary
6.93
6.11
6.74
3.5
4.8
National Primary
5.76
5.18
–
1.8
2.4
Manchester Secondary
11.37
10.52
10.62
12.5
12.8
National Secondary
8.1
7.86
–
6.7
6.3
Combined Primary and
8.86
7.97
8.35
7.3
8.2
Secondary
For 2008/09 the DCSF has defined as ‘priority secondary
For 2008/09 DCSF have identified 112 ‘priority primary schools’
schools’ those secondary schools with 7% or more persistent
in Manchester – these are schools where persistent absence
absence and as a result the number of persistent absence
for 2006/07 was higher than the national average of 2.4%.
‘priority secondary schools’ has increased from 15 to 18
schools. The national average for persistent absence was 6.3%
in 2007/08. By 2010/11 the national target is that no local
authority will have more than 5% of its secondary pupils
defined as ‘persistent absentees’. To ensure the Local Authority
works towards achieving this target, the trajectory target for
2008/09 is 7.92% and 7% for 2009/10.
Manchester Attendance Strategy 11
WT 64397 • m-four Design & Print • Manchester City Council 2009 • www.m-four.com
