Pupil Attendance Covid Update Edwina Langley Lead Attendance

Pupil Attendance – Covid Update Edwina Langley – Lead Attendance Officer Education Legal Intervention Team (ELIT) Alternative Provision, Attendance, and Independent Education Service

Session content ü Update from the Df. E ü The data so far… ü Codes and Covid ü Interim Attendance Support Process/‘NFA’ Court Process ü Legal Action ü #you’vebeenmissed ü Useful links and questions? Birmingham School Noticeboard for updates

Df. E Update § New Df. E Attendance Guidance and Covid Addendum (useful for codes) § ‘Improving school attendance: support for schools and local authorities’ ‘Attendance at school is once again mandatory including: § Parents’ duty to ensure that their child of compulsory school age attends regularly § Schools’ responsibilities to record attendance and follow up absence § The ability to issue sanctions, including fixed penalty notices, in line with local authorities’ codes of conduct’

Df. E Update § Shielding is paused (Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health) - https: //www. rcpch. ac. uk/news-events/news/rcpchreleases-guidance-clinicians-shielding-children-youngpeople § Local lockdown – people required to shield will be written to/receive a text – shielding or the individual NOT the family. § Clinically extremely vulnerable § Extremely vulnerable § Unless the child is medically advised to shield all children should be in school § Exception - new ‘non attendance’ Covid category

The data so far… § Ofsted…’visits’ for the Autumn term, not graded or judged § Safeguarding, procedures, Early Help and accuracy of data far more important to Ofsted § MIS and Df. E daily data please! Birmingham schools with isolating bubbles (from a total pupil cohort of 205, 000) Attendance on 23. 09. 20 in Birmingham was 79. 4% higher than in both Sandwell and No. No. Solihull (both in areas of enhanced support) Date school pupils staff Core cities – 81. 5% 24/09/2020 112 12995 412 National – 86. %

Codes and Covid ‘Non attendance’ – pupil does not have to attend because its: § contrary to guidance relating to the incidence or transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) from Public Health England (PHE) and/or the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)3 § prohibited by any legislation (or instruments such as statutory directions) relating to the incidence or transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) § Code X – not counted as absence (can be used for this academic year only) § Code X – usually only used for non-compulsory age pupils

Code X – not attending in circumstances related to Covid-19 § Pupils who are required to self-isolate as they, or a member of their household, has symptoms or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) § Pupils who are required to self-isolate because they are a close contact of someone who has symptoms or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) – school ‘bubbles’ § Pupils who are required by legislation to self-isolate as part of a period of quarantine (even where leave in term time was not authorised)

Code X – where it shouldn’t be used! § Pupil is ill with Covid-19 (confirmed with test) or other usual illness preventing attendance – Code ‘I’ § Pupils whose sibling is asked to self isolate as part of a ‘bubble’ where neither child shows symptoms of Covid-19 – Code ‘O’ § Pupils where either the parent or child were previously advised to shield and are refusing to send the child to school – Code ‘O’ § Pupils stuck abroad where there is evidence the parents cannot get flights back due to the pandemic – Code ‘Y’ (investigate first !)

Interim Attendance Support Process § Autumn Half Term 1 – 2020 only § Pupils with previously good attendance (schools should continue to offer Early Help) § Refer pupils on CP/CIN plans after two full weeks of absence (should be unauthorised) § Other pupils after 4 full weeks of absence § ELIT will contact the parents § Follow up letter following conversations § Monitor then final letter if needed

NFA Court Process § Autumn Half Term 1 – 2020 only § Pupils previously referred where case withdrawn due to Covid (schools should continue to offer Early Help) § ELIT have contacted the relevant schools § Attendance monitoring the pupil’s attendance – letter sent to parent from ELIT if any unauthorised absence § Parent asked to contact school re; organising attendance and given option to speak to ELIT officer § Follow up letter if no improvement – penalty notice or court from 1 st November if no improvement

Legal Action § Autumn Half Term 1 – 2020 only § FAST-track to Attendance and the ‘Leave in Term Time (penalty notice process) suspended § Unauthorised absence between 16 th March and 23 rd October will not count towards legal action (except for NFA Court cases ) § Cases of ongoing unauthorised absence – Early Help § No improvement by 2 nd November § FAST-track from Step Two – SARM § Leave in Term Time – Earliest referrals 9 th November

Legal Action Df. E Expectations • Last resort but should be considered • Vulnerable children at the centre of any intervention • Early Help • Rebuilding relationships • Multi-agency approach – Education Psychologists, Birmingham Children’s Trust, FTB, BEP, School Nurses • Df. E concern - children with previous attendance concerns will be further left behind if statutory intervention not used

CME and EHE § Children Missing from Education team § Reasonable enquiries including home visits § Refer to CME within 5 days § Elective Home Education § Email or letter – ‘educate at home’ § No legal ‘temporary’ EHE § Children on roll must attend § Parents guidance – school to refer if parents do want to EHE

#you’vebeenmissed § Multi-agency initiative § ELIT, BEP and FTB § Emotionally based school avoidance § Anxiety - GPs § Three phases § Info for parents, children and young people, schools and other professionals § Guidance for Schools § STICK team

Useful links and email addresses § Attendance queries (ELIT) attendance@birmingham. gov. uk § Df. E Attendance Guidance and Covid Addendum https: //www. gov. uk/government/publications/schoolattendance § Deletion from Roll - https: //www. birmingham. gov. uk/schoolattendance § Covid Information for parents https: //www. gov. uk/government/publications/what-parentsand-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providersschools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19 outbreak

Useful links and email addresses § #you’vebeenmissed - https: //bwc. nhs. uk/youve-beenmissed § FTB STICK team – email address to request a consultation - bwc. stickftb@nhs. net § Children Missing from Education (CME) Team cme@birmingham. gov. uk § Elective Home Education (EHE) Team Home. Education@birmingham. gov. uk § EHE Guidance for Parents https: //www. birmingham. gov. uk/home-education