“Central to raising standards in education and ensuring all pupils can fulfil their potential is an assumption so widely understood that it is insufficiently stated – pupils need to attend school regularly to benefit from their education. Missing out on lessons leaves children vulnerable to falling behind. Children with poor attendance tend to achieve less in both primary and secondary school. “(Department of Education. (2016). School attendance: guidance for schools)
The government expects schools and local authorities to:
• Promote good attendance and reduce absence, including persistent absence
• Ensure every pupil has access to full-time education to which they are entitled
• Act early to address patterns of absence
• Ensure parents perform their legal duty to ensure their children of compulsory school age are registered at school and attending regularly.
The Attendance Service provides professional advice, audit and training to support schools to meet and, wherever possible, exceed statutory requirements for addressing school attendance.
