Welcome and introductions Martyn Owen Head of Service

Welcome and introductions Martyn Owen Head of Service www. doncaster. gov. uk

Attendance Leaders network 10 th January 2018 covered § Doncaster Attendance Strategy § Virtual School – GRT § Shared Practice from Primary & Secondary Schools § Attendance Policy and Practice § Updates – Buy Doncaster § Si. Ms – attendance module § Attendance data and analysis § Attendance resources § Early Help § Next Steps Actions www. doncaster. gov. uk

Follow up from next steps actions • On your tables discuss what you have done since the last network meeting. • What is the impact so far? • What do you still need to action? • What have been the barriers and how do you intend to overcome them? www. doncaster. gov. uk Page 3

Attendance Leaders Network Meeting 17 th April 2018 Agenda will include: § Doncaster Attendance Statistical First Release March 2018 § Whole school approaches to attendance § Shared Practice from Schools § Setting up a new attendance team § Academic year attendance campaigns § EAL pupils and Attendance § Parental engagement to support attendance § Next Steps Actions www. doncaster. gov. uk Page 4

Doncaster Attendance Strategy Priorities • To develop new ways of promoting good and outstanding attendance whilst continuing to challenge, support and build the capacity of schools’ own management of attendance • To work collaboratively across teams to provide early intervention and prevention • To provide high quality, effective and targeted Local Authority Support in a timely manner. • To ensure the Local Authority supports schools and education settings to make Full and Effective use of Legal Powers www. doncaster. gov. uk Page 5

Doncaster Attendance Strategy Key Actions • Working with a range of schools directly to audit and improve on practice. • Training for governors, leaders and teachers. • Review of council code of conduct and review and refocus the role of the attendance and pupil welfare service. Please respond to the survey by 27/4/18 • Develop a public campaign around attendance in Autumn 2018. www. doncaster. gov. uk Page 6

Doncaster Attendance Strategy Connected strategies • Focus on increased partnership working and capacity building around behaviour and meeting the needs of more complex young people. • Need to review strategies for improving transition across the borough as well as mental health support to schools • Increasing support and challenge around key inclusion outcomes including use of part-timetables and referrals to home education. • Next Behaviour Network 8 th June- Secondary AM/ Primary PM Castle Rugby club • Next SENCO network meeting – 14 th June 2018 www. doncaster. gov. uk Page 7

Statistical First Release - March 2018 Absence www. doncaster. gov. uk Page 8

Statistical First Release- Unauthorised absence - March 2018 Absence (full year) Unauthorised absence (primary) Unauthorised absence (secondary) Unauthorised absence (special) www. doncaster. gov. uk 2016/17 2015/16 2014/15 Average score 1. 6% 1. 4% 1. 3% National 1. 1% 0. 9% Regional 1. 3% - - Stat neighbours 1. 4% - - National rank (151) 146 140 138 Regional rank (15) 14 12 11 Stat neighbours (11) 10 9 9 Average score 2. 9% 2. 5% 2. 3% National 1. 5% 1. 4% 1. 3% Regional 2. 0% - - Stat neighbours 2. 1% - - National rank (151) 149 146 143 Regional rank (15) 15 13 12 Stat neighbours (11) 11 9 9 Average score 0. 8% 1. 2% National 2. 1% 1. 7% 1. 9% Regional 1. 8% - - Stat neighbours 1. 9% - - National rank (151) 14 27 44 Regional rank (15) 5 5 7 Stat neighbours (11) 3 3 6 Page 9

Statistical First Release Persistent Absence - March 2018 Absence (full year) Persistent absence (primary) Persistent absence (secondary) Persistent absence (special) www. doncaster. gov. uk 2016/17 2015/16 2014/15 Average score 11. 1% 10. 3% National 8. 3% 8. 2% 8. 4% Regional 9. 2% 8. 9% 9. 3% Stat neighbours 9. 6% 8. 7% 9. 0% National rank (151) 146 147 129 Regional rank (15) 14 15 9 Stat neighbours (11) 10 11 8 Average score 19. 3% 17. 5% 16. 3% National 13. 5% 13. 1% 13. 8% Regional 15. 1% 14. 2% 14. 9% Stat neighbours 15. 5% 14. 5% 15. 3% National rank (151) 149 146 133 Regional rank (15) 15 15 11 Stat neighbours (11) 11 11 8 Average score 26. 8% 21. 0% 24. 2% National 28. 5% 26. 9% 27. 5% Regional 28. 3% 27. 9% 29. 0% Stat neighbours 26. 9% 23. 7% 24. 2% National rank (151) 51 19 42 Regional rank (15) 8 3 5 Stat neighbours (11) 5 3 6 Page 10

Statistical first release 2016 -207 • Absence for Children in Need has grown from 11. 10 to 11. 60 (Nat rank 140) • We have a high level of Traveller absence, particularly at primary school, but very little due to religious observance. • There is a significantly high proportion of children with longer absences in Doncaster over the last three years. • Exclusions, particularly at secondary, account for a much higher proportion of absence than nationally. www. doncaster. gov. uk Page 11

Important next steps • Continue to build collective responsibility and sharing of practice across our schools and academies. • To refine and relaunch our procedures as an LA for September. Please complete the survey that has been sent to schools by the end of next week. • Today as an opportunity to reflect on the role of attendance leaders: • What is our role in monitoring and minimising impact of part-timetables, exclusions etc. How do we measure the impact of funding and strategies for vulnerable children? • How do you continue to build whole school approaches to attendance, sharing responsibility, backed by strong policy, analysis and evaluation www. doncaster. gov. uk Page 12

Whole School Approaches to Attendance Linda Rundle www. doncaster. gov. uk

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Whole school approaches to attendance Address attendance and you have to will address: • Progress • Leadership • Ethos • Attainment • Teaching and Learning • Behaviour • Safeguarding • Vulnerable Groups • Staff attendance • Attitudes www. doncaster. gov. uk Page 15

Whole School Approach SLT Whole School Ethos Communication www. doncaster. gov. uk Page 16

Whole School Activity 1 – 15 minutes On table split into 3 groups Take one pile of cards per group and discuss with each other whether you do this/ have this in your school – how well you do it What else you do well that would fit in with this category – add to the cards. Activity 2 Share 2 key things you talked about with the rest of table www. doncaster. gov. uk Page 17

What it looks like “I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. Haim G Ginott www. doncaster. gov. uk Page 18

Break www. doncaster. gov. uk Page 19

Sharing Good Practice Setting up a new Attendance Team Kelly Garbett Hexthorpe Primary School www. doncaster. gov. uk

Sharing Practice Whole year attendance campaigns Alison Parsons/ Catherine Skinn Kingfisher Primary School www. doncaster. gov. uk

LA Campaigns for Attendance Charlotte Hartley & Judah Chandra www. doncaster. gov. uk

Q 1: What activity or campaigns do you currently have in place aimed at improving attendance? www. doncaster. gov. uk

• Student of the week award for 100% attendance. • Students receive raffle tickets when they arrive at school on time. “We have an attendance challenge with the winning attendance class each week receiving £ 10 to save or spend on something for their class… there’s also a hot chocolate and biscuit offer for PA children who have attended for 100% of a week. ” Staff are allocated a group of children in an "attendance team". The children selected are persistent absentees who have potential to improve. Teams meet to talk about attendance and are set challenges to improve. The teams compete against each other to win a celebration event. www. doncaster. gov. uk Page 24

• Certificates and prizes for children who obtain 100% attendance over the term, year, week. • Dojo reward system. • Extra playtime as a reward. A bought-in package from Club Doncaster includes attendance incentives such as termly assemblies with the club mascot, free tickets for those who achieve 97% or more, and various opportunities throughout the year. “We have a dedicated Attendance Officer whose job is solely to ensure that attendance is kept as a high priority at all times in school. She works closely with the Family Learning Mentor and the Local Authority EWO. ” www. doncaster. gov. uk Page 25

100% attendance reward trip to theme park Student with most improved attendance between Xmas and Easter won a tablet. We will do a similar thing for this term. 100% attendance pens for students who have 100% attendance for the next half term (7 weeks) Attendance display board is updated weekly to compare year group attendance and identify “most wanted” and “winners” • Students at risk of PA placed on attendance tracker to SLT • Weekly student attendance panels • Home visits conducted daily www. doncaster. gov. uk Page 26

Q 2. What has worked previously, and do you have any good practice or advice you are able to share? www. doncaster. gov. uk

“Last term I wrote a personalised letter to every child whose attendance was below 95% explaining where they were and the impact 100% attendance would have. For many of our children this had a positive impact. We buy in the EWO 1/2 day a fortnight from our collaborative funding and she has been a huge support to our team - she supports us with health and well-being calls and further attendance initiatives. ” “In the past we have followed the Sam & Sammie incentive through Doncaster Council, however this is now charged for so we no longer use it. In general, our attendance is fairly good but I do believe that incentives are a great way of increasing attendance and also class awards so that the children encourage each other. ” www. doncaster. gov. uk “I previously set up a scheme where children on the pupil premium register who achieved 100% for a half term were given a £ 5 voucher towards clubs or trips. Our pupil premium children are some of our poorest attenders in school and we hoped this would encourage them to attend, as well as providing financial assistance to low income families. However, this has not had a significant impact on attendance and we tend to find we are repeatedly giving vouchers to the same children - who have generally good attendance anyway. ” Page 28

What works really well for our school is: - Teachers committing to informing the Attendance Officer about any issues that may be taking place at home - Home visits as part of the first day attendance work well as its very rare we have to undertake a second home visit as parents realise how important school takes attendance. - The three week challenge works really well and has improved our whole school attendance figure significantly and there is a definite buzz around school from the children as they all want to take a gift from the prize trolley. “[The use of assembly, certificates, and prize draw] appears to be working - although our overall % attendance has dropped the number of pupils achieving target and at 100% has increased year on year. ” www. doncaster. gov. uk “At Easter we held a raffle for all the children who had attended school 100% for the problematic 4 week period to win 1 of 100 Easter eggs. Last summer, for all the children who had achieved 100% for the problematic 4 weeks were treated to an ice cream from the ice cream van that hired at school. ” The attendance reports work well to highlight the students to SLT…Once students are taken off of this report they are keen not to go back on it. They have had the most success with students who have a track record of having the odd day off here and there. The best thing we have done is buy in an EWO for half a day per week. She has led FPN initiatives, conducted home visits, attendance panels and has sped up the FPN and enforcement process which has led to some of our PA students dramatically improving their attendance. ” Page 29

Q 3: How could we help you by adding to and complementing what you already do? www. doncaster. gov. uk

It would be beneficial if when we have had to refer cases to EWO at they were given more attention and weren't closed after only a couple of weeks. We have also for the past few weeks been trying to buy into a package for EWO but struggle to find anyone there who is willing to discuss this. You could help by collating and sharing ideas from different professionals so we're not constantly reinventing the wheel. My biggest issue is changing parent attitudes towards attendance - it causes a huge amount of anger and I spend a lot of time dealing with parents who are upset I have sent them a letter 1 or 2, or who are upset their child was not eligible for a certain reward - so advice on ways to tackle this would be appreciated. www. doncaster. gov. uk The FPN process is not efficient as it currently stands. There is far too much of a delay before the fine is issued to parents. Other authorities have a fast track process where schools can issue the FPN. This would be great. Support during parents evening to discuss attendance with key parents. Providing/producing quality resources that we can include in mail shots that we send to parents to help educate them on the impact of good/poor attendance. Page 31

How can the LA support schools to promote attendance? • On your tables discuss how you think the LA could support schools to improve attendance by launching an attendance campaign in the future. • What would it look like? • How can schools be supported by the LA? • When should the campaign run? • How will you know it has been successful? • How will an LA campaign help schools to sustain improvements in attendance? • Will you volunteer to be part of a working group to shape the LA Campaign? www. doncaster. gov. uk Page 32

Sharing good practice Parental engagement Sarah Wray St Johns Primary School Mexborough www. doncaster. gov. uk

Planning for September 2018 Louise Greatrex www. doncaster. gov. uk

Close of meeting Martyn Owen www. doncaster. gov. uk