Is there anything more that schools or the Government can do to get attendance back on track?
In this blog, we’ll explore what factors are causing the attendance crisis, how to directly tackle them, and pass on some advice from our education experts.
The current state of attendance
Before we look into what’s causing the attendance crisis, we need to first take stock of how attendance currently stands. Overall, there have been slight reductions in absences since 2023, but over the past couple terms the following two notable trends can be picked out:
- The most significant difference between pre- and post-pandemic attendance is unauthorised absence at secondaries, indicating that older students are at the heart of the attendance crisis.
- Persistent absence has picked up among children in reception and year one, perhaps reflecting the challenges associated with school readiness.
The attendance crisis is a complex beast, involving pupils right across the year groups, and if not corrected soon, it could go onto affect new school joiners and permanently alter attitudes to attendance and schools.
What’s causing the attendance crisis?
Term time holidays
One of the biggest drivers of absenteeism is parents taking their children out of school early to secure cheaper flights and accommodation during term time. The significant rise of this post-Covid can be attributed to the cost of living crisis and the heightened demand for such savings.
In the same vein, the high cost of living could be causing more parents to struggle to afford things like school uniforms and transportation to schools, leading to regular attendance being deprioritised.
The SEND crisis
Many children with special educational needs and disabilities are currently not in school, either because they don’t have a school place or because their school cannot meet their needs. There are many more factors individually driving this crisis including a shortage of SEND specialist teachers and educational psychologists, delayed EHCP assessments, and budget constraints.
The mental health crisis among students
Since the school shutdowns of the pandemic, there has been a significant increase in mental health problems among pupils, mainly anxiety. Many now find schools to be frightening, stressful places where there’s a risk they could be bullied or might struggle to make friends. These concerns may indicate an undiagnosed learning difficulty which, as mentioned previously, may go unnoticed or unsupported given the SEND crisis.
A poor relationship with school
Following conversations with our customers, we’ve identified that poor parental engagement has exacerbated low attendance rates, whether it’s more parents considering term time holidays, not thinking regular attendance is particularly important, or letting their children stay at home when they work from home.
In time, this negative view of the school could rub off on students and translate to a life-long distrust of schools and a permanent shift in attendance.
Tackling the attendance crisis
Schools understandably face a huge challenge tackling the above factors: the cost of living crisis is largely out of schools’ control, and as for providing more support for students with mental health problems and additional learning needs, this requires measures that need significant funding and Government intervention. That being said, schools can address parental disengagement, namely by being more compassionate with parents and their concerns.
But perhaps the most significant action schools can take is to focus on more than just what we teach: we need to look at how school feels for students. Young people are more likely to come to school if they feel safe, valued, and confident that they can do well there.
Attendance improves when students have strong relationships with adults in school, when lessons are clearly taught and make sense, and when the content is delivered with purpose and belief. When students feel that what they’re learning matters – and that it matters for them – they begin to engage.
The solution isn’t to water down the curriculum or rely on short-term gimmicks. It’s to teach the existing curriculum in a better, more joined-up way that includes and challenges every student. Making students feel they belong isn’t just about being friendly or relevant; it’s also about making sure they’re not left out of the academic side of school.
A well-planned curriculum helps students build shared knowledge and confidence, giving them the tools to take part fully in conversations, in learning, and in life beyond school. To help them succeed, we need to do more than motivate them; we need to teach them how to think, speak, and write in the way school and exams require.
Trying to appeal to students by focusing on trends can backfire. Instead of helping, it can feel patronising. Real inclusion comes from giving all students the knowledge and skills that help them succeed, not by lowering expectations, but by opening doors.
In the end, belonging isn’t just about feeling welcome – it’s about knowing how to take part and succeed. That’s what will bring students back and keep them coming.
How does Bromcom help schools improve attendance?
Bromcom MIS offers users the opportunity to better track and understand attendance with its advanced data analysis and reporting capabilities, and includes a number of features that can directly improve parental engagement including the award-winning parent portal, MyChildAtSchool, and built-in parental communication tools.
To find out more about how Bromcom MIS could benefit your establishment, book a discovery call with our team.
