Friday 21 Sep 2007 @ 10:18
Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted)
Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted)
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Attendance in secondary schools improving overall but unauthorised absence is high
Strong leadership and management, high quality teaching and a good curriculum have a significant impact on attendance.
Attendance rates in secondary schools have improved overall since 2002 however unauthorised absence has not shown the same levels of improvement, according to a new report published today by the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted).
Today’s report, Attendance in secondary schools, found that the rise in unauthorised absence can be explained in part by the different ways in which schools authorise absence. For example, some schools will mark a pupil who arrives late as absent if they don’t think the reason given is good enough while other schools would just mark them as late. Practice for recording absence in schools is inconsistent because some schools accepted explanations from pupils and parents which would have been challenged in other schools.
Other reasons given by pupils for unauthorised absence were finding some lessons boring, difficulties getting on with particular teachers and difficulties catching up with work. The relevance of the curriculum offered to pupils was also a contributing factor.
The report, based on a survey of 31 secondary schools and an analysis of inspection judgments on attendance in 2005/06, found a direct link between the quality of teaching and attendance levels. Secondary schools with high quality teaching and learning were found to have the highest levels of attendance. Strong leadership and management was also found to be crucial in securing good attendance, as was having a curriculum that met the needs of pupils.
Christine Gilbert, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector for Education, Children’s Services and Skills said: “Overall attendance rates are improving although more needs to be done to tackle unauthorised absence and persistent truancy. High quality lessons, strong leadership and management and a curriculum that meets pupils’ needs effectively can have a significant impact on attendance.”
Inspectors found that many schools in the survey did not do enough to ensure that students caught up with work that they missed. Individual teachers were left to organise catch-up work rather than being supported by clear policies and expectations.
Today’s report found that legal sanctions and telephoning student’s homes on the first day of absence have all been effective deterrents. The survey found instances of improved attendance immediately after schools used sanctions. Automated truancy calls – when relentless calling presses carers and parents to respond – have also been beneficial. However, overall the effect of these sanctions and initiatives on the most persistent truants was limited.
The report highlighted the success of the National Strategy in improving attendance in the secondary schools with high absence rates targeted during the 2005/2006 school year. The audits and action plans implemented under the attendance strategy were helpful in focusing resources more purposefully. The report confirmed that in 2005/06, there were 27 per cent fewer pupils persistently truanting in the targeted schools compared to 2004/05.
Some students whose attendance was marginally over 90% regarded this situation as entirely acceptable. When schools focus their attention on students whose attendance is below this threshold, they may be inadvertently condoning relatively poor attendance. One school revised the way it communicated absentee rates to parents and students, by presenting a 90 per cent attendance rate as missing 19 days of school. The school found that this was a better method of communicating absentee rates, and as a result attendance rates improved.
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector for Education, Children’s Services and Skills Christine Gilbert said:
“Evidence shows that in order to secure good attendance, strong and determined leadership is crucial. In the best practice schools this was achieved by highlighting the importance of attendance to students, parents and staff, regular and rigorous monitoring, and a whole school approach to attendance.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Attendance in secondary schools is published today on the Ofsted website at www.ofsted.gov.uk.
2. Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) visited 31 secondary schools in 23 local authorities as part of the survey during the summer and autumn terms of 2006. Of these, 24 were identified as target schools by the DCSF because their unauthorised absence rates or overall absence rates had been too high.
3. Targeted pupils were defined by the then Department for Education and Skills (DfES) as pupils with the equivalent of 20 or more days of unauthorised absence in the previous year.
4. From 1 April 2007 a new single inspectorate for children and learners came into being. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) has the responsibility for the inspection of adult learning and training - work formerly undertaken by the Adult Learning Inspectorate; the regulation and inspection of children's social care - work formerly undertaken by the Commission for Social Care Inspection; the inspection of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service - work formerly undertaken by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Court Administration; and the existing regulatory and inspection activities of Ofsted.
Attendance rates in secondary schools have improved overall since 2002 however unauthorised absence has not shown the same levels of improvement, according to a new report published today by the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted).
Today’s report, Attendance in secondary schools, found that the rise in unauthorised absence can be explained in part by the different ways in which schools authorise absence. For example, some schools will mark a pupil who arrives late as absent if they don’t think the reason given is good enough while other schools would just mark them as late. Practice for recording absence in schools is inconsistent because some schools accepted explanations from pupils and parents which would have been challenged in other schools.
Other reasons given by pupils for unauthorised absence were finding some lessons boring, difficulties getting on with particular teachers and difficulties catching up with work. The relevance of the curriculum offered to pupils was also a contributing factor.
The report, based on a survey of 31 secondary schools and an analysis of inspection judgments on attendance in 2005/06, found a direct link between the quality of teaching and attendance levels. Secondary schools with high quality teaching and learning were found to have the highest levels of attendance. Strong leadership and management was also found to be crucial in securing good attendance, as was having a curriculum that met the needs of pupils.
Christine Gilbert, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector for Education, Children’s Services and Skills said: “Overall attendance rates are improving although more needs to be done to tackle unauthorised absence and persistent truancy. High quality lessons, strong leadership and management and a curriculum that meets pupils’ needs effectively can have a significant impact on attendance.”
Inspectors found that many schools in the survey did not do enough to ensure that students caught up with work that they missed. Individual teachers were left to organise catch-up work rather than being supported by clear policies and expectations.
Today’s report found that legal sanctions and telephoning student’s homes on the first day of absence have all been effective deterrents. The survey found instances of improved attendance immediately after schools used sanctions. Automated truancy calls – when relentless calling presses carers and parents to respond – have also been beneficial. However, overall the effect of these sanctions and initiatives on the most persistent truants was limited.
The report highlighted the success of the National Strategy in improving attendance in the secondary schools with high absence rates targeted during the 2005/2006 school year. The audits and action plans implemented under the attendance strategy were helpful in focusing resources more purposefully. The report confirmed that in 2005/06, there were 27 per cent fewer pupils persistently truanting in the targeted schools compared to 2004/05.
Some students whose attendance was marginally over 90% regarded this situation as entirely acceptable. When schools focus their attention on students whose attendance is below this threshold, they may be inadvertently condoning relatively poor attendance. One school revised the way it communicated absentee rates to parents and students, by presenting a 90 per cent attendance rate as missing 19 days of school. The school found that this was a better method of communicating absentee rates, and as a result attendance rates improved.
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector for Education, Children’s Services and Skills Christine Gilbert said:
“Evidence shows that in order to secure good attendance, strong and determined leadership is crucial. In the best practice schools this was achieved by highlighting the importance of attendance to students, parents and staff, regular and rigorous monitoring, and a whole school approach to attendance.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Attendance in secondary schools is published today on the Ofsted website at www.ofsted.gov.uk.
2. Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) visited 31 secondary schools in 23 local authorities as part of the survey during the summer and autumn terms of 2006. Of these, 24 were identified as target schools by the DCSF because their unauthorised absence rates or overall absence rates had been too high.
3. Targeted pupils were defined by the then Department for Education and Skills (DfES) as pupils with the equivalent of 20 or more days of unauthorised absence in the previous year.
4. From 1 April 2007 a new single inspectorate for children and learners came into being. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) has the responsibility for the inspection of adult learning and training - work formerly undertaken by the Adult Learning Inspectorate; the regulation and inspection of children's social care - work formerly undertaken by the Commission for Social Care Inspection; the inspection of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service - work formerly undertaken by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Court Administration; and the existing regulatory and inspection activities of Ofsted.
