Supporting school attendance
Published
Reflection and planning tool
This resource has been designed to inform and support school leaders and attendance teams in their work to increase pupil attendance.
Improving attendance is a multifaceted mission, requiring different approaches in different contexts. There are, however, some common overarching principles that can inform attendance strategies. We have structured our resources around six evidence-informed themes.
Each theme is informed by recommendations from our suite of guidance reports, and is accompanied by a range of further reading and exemplification from a range of schools and school leaders.
At the bottom of this page, you will also find a summary of the evidence base for attendance interventions and further information about current EEF projects around attendance.
Podcast
- Title: Supporting school attendance
Featuring: Alex Quigley, Freya Morrissey, Owen Carter, Jane Elsworth & Oliver Kerr - Summary: In this episode, the hosts and practitioners explore what the evidence tells us about attendance, including the practices and everyday school experiences. The discussion highlights practical examples and considerations for schools looking to strengthen attendance through the guidance report recommendations.
- Listen on Spotify:
Further resources
Attendance context
The context of increased levels of absence since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Summary of evidence
What does the evidence tell us about the best ways to improve attendance?
EEF Attendance projects
What else is the EEF doing on school attendance?
DfE Monitor your school attendance tool
This tool includes interactive dashboards and downloads for the daily attendance data your school shares with the Department for Education. (DfE log-in required)
DfE Pupil Attendance Dashboard
This DfE dashboard provides data on attendance and absence at National, Regional and Local Authority geographic levels.