Fortis Trust have secured a supportive partnership with ImpactEd, to collaborate and aid in addressing the issue of student/intern attendance at Bradfields Academy and Forward2Employment. Through an innovative attendance diagnostic exercise, this partnership aims to transform how we understand and tackle the bottom 10% of absenteeism and ongoing persistent absenteeism, especially in the challenging context of post-pandemic education.
Understanding Attendance: A National Priority
Attendance has become a pressing concern for school leaders across the UK, with rates of persistent absenteeism soaring in some areas to 22.3% during the 2022-23 academic year. There is no simple solution to this issue, as the effectiveness of attendance interventions varies greatly depending on the context.
Attendance is a complex matter. As leaders we are acutely aware that there are many factors that affect student attendance in the UK, these include poor mental health, children living in poverty, bullying, children who are young carers, post pandemic shifts in family attitudes towards schooling, and anxiety, to name just a few areas that need to be considered. Additionally, the government has recently published guidance on working together to improve school attendance.
Recognising this, ImpactEd launched the Understanding Attendance project, a national initiative designed to shed light on the factors influencing poor attendance in schools. As a Trust, we are excited to take the opportunity to join the project, finding innovative solutions to support improvement and development across the Trust.
Phase One: Diagnostic Insights
During the first phase of the project, beginning in Term 2, Bradfields Academy and Forward2Employment will engage in an attendance diagnostic process. This involves students and interns completing evidence informed questionnaires that assess the various drivers of attendance.
Drawing from ImpactEd’s latest research, these questionnaires are aligned with attendance rates to provide Bradfields, F2E and Fortis Trust with a personalised report. This report highlights the most predictive factors of student/intern attendance, offering detailed insights across different groups and individuals.
Phase Two: Implementing Effective Strategies
With the diagnostic findings complete, we will progress in Term 3, to implement targeted attendance strategies and interventions. The School Impact Platform facilitates ongoing data collection, allowing us to evaluate the impact of different strategies on specific target groups. Additionally, this phase allows for further collaboration, by connecting us with other schools and provisions working on similar approaches, enabling the sharing of effective practices.
Areas of Focus: Tailored for SEND Learners
The project includes eight specially adapted questionnaires for SEND learners and their parents, focusing on key areas:
- Sense of Belonging: Adapted from the Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale, this survey explores students’ and interns’ feelings of belonging and significance within the school community.
- Safe in School: This tool assesses students’ and interns’ perceptions of safety in their school environment, a crucial factor influencing attendance.
- Understanding the Importance of Attendance: A survey measuring students’ and interns’ comprehension and appreciation of the school’s attendance system, highlighting clear communication and expectations.
- Attendance Contextual Drivers: Developed in collaboration with organisations such as the Children’s Commissioner, this set of questions examines societal influences on pupils’ attendance behaviours.
- School Engagement: Measuring behavioural, emotional, and cognitive engagement, higher levels of which are linked to improved academic performance and attendance.
- Wellbeing: Focusing on students’ and interns’ overall state of thriving and contentment, wellbeing is associated with numerous positive school outcomes, including better attendance.
- Anxiety: This tool evaluates anxiety levels related to physical sensations, thought patterns, and feelings, which can negatively impact attendance.
- Grit: Defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals, grit is closely connected to academic resilience and increased attendance.
We have selected areas of focus based on the context and our knowledge of the learners in both provisions, aiming to get a deep insight into the root cause of absenteeism.
A Nationwide Contribution
The collaboration between Fortis Trust and ImpactEd not only supports improved attendance within Bradfields and Forward2Employment, but also contributes significantly to the national understanding of attendance challenges. By empowering schools with meaningful data and effective strategies, this initiative helps drive a positive impact on young people’s lives.
ImpactEd’s commitment to understanding what works in education and making monitoring and evaluation more effective is at the heart of this project. Together with Fortis Trust, they are paving the way for a more informed and targeted approach to enhancing school attendance across the UK. Watch this space for further updates as the project progresses.