Government will use AI to set minimum attendance targets for schools to meet this year in the latest bid to crackdown on absence.
The targets will not be published, nor shared with Ofsted.
But schools that fail to meet the new attendance expectations will be referred for support through regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) teams.
The Department for Education (DfE) has announced today schools will be set the ‘attendance baseline improvement expectations’ from this month.
The target will be set through an AI-generated report considering things like location, pupil needs and deprivation levels.
It comes as the DfE has revealed the next batch of its behaviour and attendance hubs (see full list below).
But general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders Pepe Di’lasio urged the government “to understand the realities in schools rather than issuing yet more diktats dreamt up in Whitehall”.
He said many factors are contributing to absence are beyond school control, adding: “Setting them individual targets doesn’t resolve those issues, but it does pile yet more pressure on school leaders and staff who are already under great strain”.
How will targets work?
Each school will be given “minimum attendance expectations” for 2024-25 “from this month”. This year’s targets will be on a “test and learn basis”.
Government said “progress will be interpreted thoughtfully given attendance levels can sometimes be hit by local ‘shocks’.”
Each school will get an “attendance baseline improvement expectation” report, which will be based on schools’ circumstances – including location, pupil needs and deprivation.
This will be “AI powered”, and “aim to help lift the floor on school performance, as part of a ladder of progress helping schools and wider services back to Pre-Covid levels of attendance –without capping ambition”.
Leaders will also be given examples in their report of similar schools in the region with better attendance “offering further insight to drive improvement”.
Schools Week has asked the DfE whether top schools will be informed about being named in struggling school’s reports.
RISE support – no Ofsted involvement
Government said the targets will not be published externally or made available to Ofsted.
Instead, targets will be used to provide support through RISE behaviour and attendance hubs.
The government plans to open a total of 90 hubs, reaching 5,000 schools and giving targeted support to 500 settings. The scheme is spearheaded by ambassadors Tom Bennett and Jayne Lowe.
There are already 21 hubs operating since September, with 36 more open from today.
Meanwhile, schools will also be given ‘best practice toolkits’ targeting transitional moments between primary and secondary school, and Year 7 and 8.
Crochet and cooking classes
King’s Leadership Academy Warrington, is one of the best practice examples in the new toolkit.
A government press release added the school “creates an environment where all children can belong and thrive with weekly enrichment sessions where pupils choose activities including crochet, gardening and sign language”.
Another best practice school, CHS South in Manchester, “encourages strong starts to secondary school by creating a sense of community with parents and pupils” with family cooking classes in the summer before year 7.
The target strategy is part of the government’s drive to get attendance levels back to pre-pandemic levels.
While overall and persistent absence rates have fallen in the past year, severe absence levels have risen.
‘The wrong way to go’
But Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders union NAHT, said: “The reality is that schools are already working tirelessly to improve attendance, with many going way above and beyond what should be expected of schools every single day.
“The government issuing them with yet more targets will not help them with that work and is the wrong way to go.”
Both leadership unions have called for better resources to be made for schools to understand the barriers to attendance.
It is also just the latest expectation placed on schools. That includes new expectations for behaviour and parental engagement in the upcoming schools white paper, as well as post-16 study and new careers education targets. Last week it also said schools would be judged on enrichment benchmarks.
But education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “We can only deliver opportunity for children in our country if they’re in school, achieving and thriving.
“That’s why I want every school to play its part in getting attendance back to – and beyond – pre-pandemic levels.
“By working jointly with schools to set individual targets, we’re tackling variation head-on. Our best schools already have a brilliant approach to attendance, and now we’re driving that focus everywhere so that all children are supported to attend school and learn.”
More behaviour and attendance hubs announced
The DfE has published the names of the next behaviour and attendance hubs it has opened today.
These are:
- Charnwood College, David Ross Education Trust
- Granville Academy, Affinity Learning Partnership
- Sir Jonathan North Girls’ College, Lionheart Education Trust
- The Newark Academy, Nova Education Trust
- Church Lane Primary School & Nursery, LA Maintained
- Sneinton St Stephen’s CofE Primary School, Transform Trust
- Riverside School, Partnership Learning
- Swanlea School, LA Maintained
- Mulberry Shoreditch Academy, Mulberry Schools Trust
- St Edward’s Church of England Academy, Unity Schools Partnership
- Cumberland Community School, Community Schools Trust
- Croftway Academy, Wise Academies
- Hawthorn Primary School, LA Maintained
- St Bede’s Catholic Academy, Bishop Hogarth
- Dyke House Sports and Technology College, Northern Education Trust
- Belmont Community School, LA Maintained
- Macmillan Academy, Endeavour Academies Trust
- Dean Trust Ardwick, The Dean Trust
- Our Lady’s RC High School, LA Maintained
- Workington Academy, Cumbria Education Trust
- Oasis Academy Harpur Mount, Oasis Community Learning
- St Barnabas and St Paul’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, LA Maintained
- Webster Primary School, Webster Primary School
- The Langley Academy, The Arbib Education Trust
- Glenmoor Academy, United Learning
- Hazelwood Academy, Lift
- Avonbourne Boys Academy & Avonbourne Girls Academy (joint), United Learning
- Somervale Secondary School, Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership
- Five Acres High School, Greenshaw Learning Trust
- Moat Farm Junior School, Stour Vale Trust
- The Khalsa Academy, One Multi-Academy Trust
- St John’s CofE Primary School, Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust
- Spring Grove Junior and Infant School, LA Maintained
- Carr Manor Community School, LA Maintained
- Royds Hall, A Share Academy, Share Multi-Academy Trust
- Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, LA Maintained
The DfE plans to open 90 hubs in total, with 21 already opened in September. This means 34 hubs are yet to be opened.
Once opened, the hubs will reach 5,000 schools and giving targeted support to 500 settings.
Some brilliant schools have high absence. This just reiterates how out of touch the government are with reality.
My school had a target to continue what we are already doing at the last inspection in 2024. The lead inspector nor the chief HMI could offer any other suggestions. The LA have been unable to offer any other suggestions. An absence specialist company have been unable to offer any other suggestions. Let’s hope the RISE team have something to offer when they come knocking!
The government need to address social care, health, housing, high mobility and how the traveller community absence is accounted for but instead they offer punitive measures that will lead to dedicated and skilled leaders leaving the profession or self harming. Have they not learnt anything?
Have the Dfe not realised that ‘Working together to improve school attendance, Dfe Aug 2024’ does just the opposite! Prior to this document, parents could be penalty noticed for a single event absence after just 2 days, this was a real deterrent. Parents have now quickly understood that a 4.5 day holiday can be taken every 10 weeks and no penalty notice issued.
Although our overall attendance is significantly above the national average, we have more ‘G’ codes than ever before.
Just this week, DfE have had to pull the “similar schools” report because it hasn’t calculated correctly. I suspect it is the same team with the same technology who will be working on these new “AI” targets. They need to get the foundations right (and build confidence in the system) before they start using it in such a high-stakes way for schools.