Uniting schools to tackle absenteeism: A national effort to keep pupils in class
A group of schools leading the way in improving attendance is joining forces to ensure even more pupils can make the most of their education.
The initiative comes after Trinity Catholic College in Middlesbrough secured a spot in the top ten nationally for improved attendance, thanks to a fresh approach that prioritises praise and rewards over punishment.
Hilary Robinson, attendance lead at Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust (NPCAT), saw an opportunity to build on this success. Inspired by Trinity’s progress, she set up a new forum to bring together the top-performing schools from across the country, creating a platform for sharing ideas and tackling challenges collectively.
A culture of praise and rewards
Trinity’s headteacher, Andy Rodgers, has transformed the culture of attendance at the school by implementing a reward-based system. Pupils who attend regularly are given the chance to participate in special activities and earn prizes, from bikes and wireless headphones to shopping vouchers. This approach has driven a four per cent rise in attendance, earning the school national recognition from school improvement specialists, the Excellence Hub.
But there is no room for complacency. Hilary remains focused on sustaining and expanding these improvements, not just at Trinity but across all 38 NPCAT schools throughout Teesside and North Yorkshire.
Sharing success and overcoming barriers
“We’re already part of Department for Education (DfE) attendance hubs, I attend regional network meetings and our own trust network meetings,” says Hilary.
“But you can never stand still with attendance. The picture is constantly changing and we’re always looking at new ideas, so I contacted the other nine schools in the top ten alongside Trinity.”
This new group, spanning from the north-east to Essex, held its first online meeting earlier this month.
“We’re finding out what’s worked for them and telling them what’s worked for us, as well as discussing barriers we’ve come against to see how they face similar challenges.
“All these schools are on a journey. Why travel on our own when we can put our heads together and see what works? We’re planning to keep in touch and continue sharing strategies we can use to further support improved attendance.”
Tackling regional challenges
The north-east holds the unwelcome distinction of topping national tables for school absence and persistent absenteeism, where pupils miss 10 per cent or more of their sessions. However, attendance across NPCAT schools has been steadily improving since the introduction of new policies and staffing procedures in September 2022. The most notable gains have been in the trust’s secondary schools, where attendance has traditionally been weaker.
“Attendance often gets worse as children get older because pupils can vote with their feet,” Hilary explains.
Trinity’s attendance is up 6.1% compared with 2022/23 and another NPCAT school, St Patrick’s Catholic College in Thornaby, has improved attendance by 5.7% over the same period.
Primary schools leading the way
Primary attendance across the trust has also improved, with NPCAT schools making up four of the top five primary schools with the highest attendance in Middlesbrough.
One standout success story is St Alphonsus’ Catholic Primary School in North Ormesby, where headteacher Angela McCann has put attendance at the heart of school life.
“What Angela has done is just amazing when you look at the demographic makeup of the school,” Hilary says.
“Attendance has a high profile throughout the school with attendance boards and displays, attendance heroes, holding an attendance week and regular rewards for 100% and improved attendance.
“Rewards to incentivise attendance are a focus across many of our schools. St Peter’s Catholic College in South Bank set up the 100% Club this year, with rewards and perks for pupils who maintain 100% attendance.
“There’s also an Attendance Shop where pupils can spend the tickets they are awarded for attendance on a wide range of gifts.”
Early intervention and additional support
One of the biggest changes NPCAT introduced was around early intervention, nipping problems in the bud before they snowball into long-term issues.
“Before the trust makes a referral to local authorities for legal proceedings or penalty notices, we introduce a step called Improving Attendance Plans,” says Hilary.
“Schools work with parents and other agencies to find out barriers to attendance. Is there a medical need? Can we look at support from school nurses or early help services?
“We’ve also made more support available in school, particularly at Trinity, which has the St Christopher Centre, where pupils with specific needs returning from long-term absence can go.
“When the DfE’s Working Together to Improve School Attendance came out last August we were already doing much of what it contained, so we haven’t had to change our procedures.
“There are lots of supportive agencies, such as the government-funded Watchtower Project in Middlesbrough, an independent charity that can mentor pupils around attendance and we try to get that message across to parents and carers.
“Although we know school is the best place for children, there are alternatives through the local authority if there’s medical evidence a child can’t access mainstream schools.”
A wealth of experience and a changing culture
Before joining NPCAT – one of the country’s largest Catholic school trusts – Hilary worked in attendance for Stockton Council for 17 years.
She says: “That gave me a good, rounded background, and I’ve been able to build relationships with the five local authorities that cover our schools and who all work differently.”
Hilary says “old-fashioned truanting”, where children set off from home with their school bags but head for a playing field or shopping centre instead, is rare these days.
“If a pupil doesn’t arrive and the parent or carer hasn’t phoned, a first-day caller from the school rings the home, and that’s vital to ensure pupils are safeguarded.
“Attendances across the country also dropped after the pandemic, but we’re slowly seeing an improvement, and that’s also reflected across our schools.”
And that can only be good news for pupils, with the link between attendance and attainment being so strong.
“Research shows clearly that pupils who have higher attainment at Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4 have higher attendance,” says Hilary.
“Regular attendance at school promotes pupil wellbeing, socialisation and wider life chances. School attendance is everyone’s business and we’re changing the culture within our schools.
“We’re doing everything from rewards and incentives to getting everybody involved, including teachers, tutors, headteachers, families and pupils.”
Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust is a Schools North East Partner Trust. If you’d like to find out more about our Partner School membership, click here.
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