EEF Research into Improving Pupil Attendance

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has published new research which looks into different approaches of how to improve pupil attendance.

James Bowen, director of policy for school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“As all schools know, tackling persistent absenteeism requires a great deal of hard work, persistence and a range of different professionals working together to tackle the underlying issues facing pupils and families.

“Schools are certainly very experienced in this and will have a range of strategies to draw on. That being said, examples of additional evidenced-based strategies would certainly be welcome.

“Local Authorities, along with other agencies, can play a vital role in supporting schools in this work but they require sufficient funding to do so. We know that many have had to scale back the support they are able to offer schools as a result of financial pressures.

“The reality is that most of this work does have a cost implication. We share the government’s ambition to ensure that every child has good attendance, and hope they are prepared to match that ambition with the appropriate level of resources.”

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“The pupils most likely to be absent from school are often those who are vulnerable and struggle the most in education. Improving their attendance is vital to improving their outcomes and life chances. Schools work hard to do that already, but the EEF’s review shows there isn’t enough firm evidence available to them about what approaches work, and this is clearly a gap that needs to be filled. We welcome the EEF’s plan to evaluate initiatives which improve attendance and reduce exclusions. The results could be of great value.

“However, this issue is not only about the approaches that are used, it is also about the resources that are available. Over the past decade, central government has decimated the funding for local authority education support services, reducing the capacity of these services to support pupils and parents and to tackle persistent absence. At the same time, it has squeezed school funding, making it harder for schools to provide pastoral support for pupils who are facing challenges and barriers.

“The government is currently placing a big focus on improving attendance, particularly in the wake of the Covid pandemic, and it is right to do so. But it must recognise that effective and sustainable intervention on a national scale requires an appropriate level of investment.”