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Pupils & learning

Improving school attendance

Understand the board's role in relation to developing an attendance policy, reviewing attendance data and improving outcomes for all pupils.

Guidance
21/05/2025
Pupils-learning young pupils running out of their school gates

UPDATE: DfE are now issuing schools with AI generated attendance improvement targets in the form of attendance baseline improvement expectation (ABIE) reports. These will be based on historical data, location, pupil needs and deprivation. Schools will start to receive indicative ABIEs for the 2025/26 academic year to help them prepare for when the initiative officially comes into force in September 2026.

Attending school is critically important for children’s life chances, including their attainment, wellbeing, wider development and safeguarding.​

Pupils who already face particular challenges, including pupils eligible for free school meals, pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and pupils with a social worker are also more likely to be absent from school; this widens educational disadvantage.

We have worked with the DfE to produce our guide to improving school attendance which sets out governing board responsibilities and questions to ask in relation to:

  • developing an effective attendance policy
  • regularly reviewing attendance data
  • ensuring staff receive the training they need to improve attendance

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