Data-driven strategies to boost student attendance
For children, school serves as a central hub of their social world beyond the family. Surrounded by teachers and peers, students are immersed in an environment that fosters learning not only in academics but also in various aspects of social interaction and development.
As we approach the end of summer holidays, millions of students are expected to be back to school, colleges or universities. In-person learning in a stimulating educational environment is essential for students to reach their full potential.
- Academic Achievement: Evidence has shown that there is a direct correlation between attendance and academic achievement. Students who are more likely to be in class tend to achieve higher grades at both Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4. In fact, studies have shown that students with persistent absence (missing 19 or more days per year) are nearly 45% less likely to meet the expected standards at Key Stage 2 than their peers with perfect attendance. This underscores the importance of prioritising attendance for optimal academic outcomes.
Social Development: Apart from attainment, being in school among their peer groups has a significant impact on a child’s social skills. Through interactions with classmates, participation in extracurricular activities, and the development of interpersonal relationships, students learn valuable lessons in teamwork, cooperation, and communication. This is crucial for a smooth transition to adulthood and helps in developing skills for their long-term participation in social and economic grounds.
Long-Term Impact: This research paper examines long-term associations between school absences in late childhood and individuals’ educational attainment, social class, unemployment, and earnings in adulthood using the 1970 British Cohort Study. T Research findings indicate that students who miss school frequently are less likely to achieve high-status occupations and more likely to experience unemployment or lower-paying jobs. For example, individuals who miss just five days of school are nearly 6% less likely to enter professional or managerial roles, 4% more likely to find themselves in working-class occupations, and nearly 9% more likely to be unemployed compared to those with perfect attendance. These results underscore the enduring impact of school absences on long-term life trajectories.
Parents or carers of a child have a legal responsibility to ensure their child receives a suitable education. This is usually achieved through regular attendance at school. School attendance or its lack of, has come to the forefront of discussion as Covid-19 had a massive impact on student attendance.
The Lasting Impact of COVID-19 on School Attendance:
The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound and enduring effect on school attendance rates. Following school closures, many students struggled to reintegrate into the classroom, leading to a significant decline in attendance. In the autumn of 2023/24, nearly one-fifth of pupils were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of their classes. What the pandemic data showed was that not only are school attendance rates declining but was socially divided with children from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to miss school than those from affluent backgrounds (Attwood & Croll, 2006; Klein et al., 2020). Just after the pandemic, the Children’s commissioner of England Dame Rachel de Souza, conducted “The Big Ask” and 550,000 children responded to the survey. Her article “Voices of England’s missing children” confirmed that children do not want to miss school, it is where they have their friends and fun, yet there was a big rise in student absenteeism post pandemic.
Common root causes of school absence
To effectively tackle the ongoing challenges of school absenteeism, it is essential to delve into the complex factors that influence student attendance.
Personal factors:
Personal and family circumstances, including unmet special needs, anxiety, communication difficulties, young caregiving responsibilities, mental and physical health issues, family trauma, and bereavement, can significantly impact a child's attendance. These factors require careful consideration and personalised support to improve attendance.
School environment:
Schools with weak anti-bullying policies, excessive homework, inadequate pastoral care, or inflexible uniform policies may inadvertently hinder attendance. Conversely, schools that foster a positive and supportive environment, characterised by teacher engagement, a welcoming culture, and a focus on safety, can significantly improve attendance rates.
Community involvement:
Schools that actively participate in community activities, build relationships with local organisations, and promote a sense of shared values can create a supportive environment that reinforces attendance, particularly in vulnerable areas. Schools may improve student attendance and well-being more holistically by addressing these interrelated issues.
Challenges in promoting school attendance
Schools and families must collaborate to address the complex challenges that impact student attendance. By implementing preventative measures, personalised support, and early intervention strategies, schools and families can work together to help students return to school and reap the benefits of regular attendance for both individual students and society as a whole. Let's explore some of the specific challenges schools face in promoting student attendance:
Identifying At-Risk Students:
The topmost factor in not having a sustained healthy attendance is in schools' inability in identifying at-risk students. Schools frequently adopt a reactive approach to attendance issues rather than implementing proactive strategies. Families often feel unheard and unsupported, and bullying incidents may not be addressed effectively, contributing to a cycle of habitual absence.
TIMELY Intervention and support:
To improve attendance, it is imperative that proper interventions and support are not only put in place but actively monitored to see the impact and eventually improvement level in attendance.
Balancing Discipline and Support:
Schools are educational institutions whose responsibilities among many, include creating a platform for students to excel which is measured by their attainment. They are also institutions where children come to have fun and play and interact with their friends. There is a fine balancing act that schools need to make in order to understand and support a child with their own unique situation and yet make sure that all support is given for their attainment and performance is achieved to their best ability.
How data can help manage and improving school attendance
Having visibility of the causes and reasons behind a child’s absence promptly and regularly is important in making sure the interventions and support measures happen at the right time, instead of after the child is persistently absent. As we see from the Children’s commissioners insights that 33.6% of pupils receiving FSM (Free School Meals) are persistently absent as compared to 20% not in receipt of FSM. Data helps in drawing correlation between student profile and their attendance which helps schools to manage and provide early intervention before a student goes from unauthorised absence to severely absent and then persistently being absent. While schools possess a wealth of data, the challenge lies in accessing and analysing this information in a timely manner to deliver effective support and interventions. This underscores the critical need for schools to identify at-risk students proactively.
sharing and accessibility of attendance data
Reasons behind absenteeism in students is a complex one – this includes system issue as well as an individual issue. Having data sharing and accessibility between schools, local authorities and services that look after children is important in providing prompt intervention. As we have seen in Dame Rachel de Souza’s report, that some local authorities do not even know how many children are in their area let alone know how many are out of school. DfE has recently launched a process by which schools can share their daily attendance data automatically without much administrative input from the school. This process will enable Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) and local authorities to have access to update to date pupil attendance data and enable them to benchmark and compare attendance data with previous years. By facilitating this data capture, anyone who provide support to children who are struggling, will learn about absence much sooner. This will ensure all relevant authorities can work together proactively rather than reactively to support children’s attendance at school.
Data correlation to identify at-risk students
Schools can leverage their existing registration data to proactively manage student attendance. By combining attendance records with student profiles, health information, and safety data, schools can predict a student's attendance for a term and implement targeted support and early intervention strategies for those at risk of persistent absence.
Data analysis reveals a strong correlation between early-term absences and the likelihood of persistent absence throughout the term. The Children's Commissioner's attendance audit identified two key patterns: students who miss the first few days of a new term are significantly more likely to be absent for an extended period, and those who miss mid-week days are more prone to regular absence.
Without data-driven insights, schools would struggle to identify and support students who are at high risk of persistent absence, particularly those who miss school at the beginning of the term or on mid-week days.
Real-time data updates & analysis of attendance data
To effectively address the challenges of student absence, schools must invest in a robust data infrastructure that enables near real-time analysis of attendance data. This involves mapping out the entire data journey, from school registers to notifications to relevant authorities, to ensure that information is collected, analysed, and utilized effectively. By integrating data from various sources, schools can gain a comprehensive understanding of student attendance patterns and identify at-risk students proactively.
When it comes to developing a robust data strategy or framework, it's crucial to take your time and consider all the factors involved. Why not get some help from experts who've been in the field for years? We can offer valuable insights and guidance tailored to your institution's unique needs. Schedule a preliminary discussion to assess your institution's current position in its data journey and explore how we can assist you in advancing further.
Proactive monitoring by school office managers
Implementing a proactive monitoring system that automates data analysis and presents relevant information to office managers is essential for timely intervention. This allows schools to identify and address irregular absences before they escalate into persistent absence. Schools may increase overall attendance rates and customise interventions to meet the unique needs of each student by utilising data-driven insights.
Bottom line…
Student Attendance is a complex subject that involves tackling system wide and individual issues. Regular attendance goes beyond student attainment and gives the individual the best possible start in life that goes beyond school life into adulthood. Research also showed that student attendance has a link to the individual’s occupational class and their period of unemployment, which has an impact on the labour market. With such huge benefits and the return on society, schools and all relevant authorities need to work together to make sure that attendance data is shared and accessible for proactive monitoring. Strategies for early intervention, based on data should be devised to prevent chronic absenteeism. Teachers, administrators need to be trained to use data efficiently to manage attendance.
If your school or MAT is seeking to optimise the attendance management strategies, Ei Square can provide valuable assistance. Our team of data experts can develop a customised predictive model tailored to your school's specific needs and data. We can assist you in identifying students who are at-risk, placing targeted interventions, and raising overall attendance rates by utilising advanced analytics.
Contact us today to learn how our data-driven solutions can enhance your school's attendance management practices.