Headteacher Update Podcast: Improving primary school attendance

This episode looks at how primary schools can boost pupil attendance, including tackling persistent absenteeism and supporting families. Three experts discuss the current trends and challenges in primary school attendance, including the legacy of Covid. We identify and discuss the main barriers to attendance – including anxiety, school avoidance, SEMH needs, problems with punctuality, poverty and school uniform – and offer strategies and tips for how they can best be overcome, including ideas for positive interventions. We touch on Ofsted's expectations and attitudes around attendance and discuss how to engage with parents and carers, including home visits. How can we tackle persistent absences? What is the role of school procedures and policies, as well as tracking, monitoring and analysing attendance data? We discuss how we can put caring and kindess at the heart of attendance work and how can we celebrate good attendance – are rewards the right way to go?