Teach Secondary Issue 13.6

PROBLEM THIS WAY! P ersistent absenteeism in English secondary schools is a significant concern, with approximately 25% of students categorised as ‘persistently absent’ at the time of writing. That designation applies to students who miss at least 10% of school sessions – equivalent to around 19 school days or more annually. The implications of such high absence rates are alarming, and based on current trends, it’s unlikely that we’re going see any imminent improvement. The scope of the problem Persistent absence affects a substantial portion of the student population. According to DfE data, 25% of secondary school students fell into the category of persistent absentees during the 2022-2023 academic year; a troubling statistic, given the strong correlation between attendance and academic performance. Studies have consistently shown that students who attend school regularly are muchmore likely to achieve higher academic outcomes compared to their frequently absent peers. There is, however, a significant disparity in absence rates between students from different socio-economic backgrounds. Statistics show that children eligible for free school meals have higher rates of absenteeism– such as during the 2022-23 academic year, when 34% of students eligible for FSM were persistently absent, compared to 20% of those who weren’t eligible. And yet, I refuse to accept that the problem is explicitly linked to poverty, disadvantage or socio-economic background, since absence figures still remain historically high for students who come frommore privileged backgrounds. The absence rates for this group of students, while comparatively lower, should still concern us all. In the 2022-2023 academic year, some 15% of students fromhigher socio-economic backgrounds were persistently absent, indicating that the absenteeismwe’re seeing is, in fact, a multifaceted problem influenced by various factors beyond socio-economic status alone. Punitivemeasures Now, at this point I could spend the next few paragraphs listing all kinds of suggestions as to what we school leaders should do in response, such as starting breakfast clubs to encourage students to attend school. I could explore the use of incentives to reward good attendance – ‘Film of the Month’ tokens, fast passes for dinner lines and so on. Or I could swing the pendulum the other way, and instead look at punitive measures – threats of detentions or exclusions, or in the very worst cases, using the prospect of external agency referrals as a fear tactic. But we know what happens. All these measures and more have already been tried and tested, over and over, up and down the country, and they simply don’t have any lasting impact. My own proposed response to this growing problem can be summed up in one word: curriculum. Votingwith their feet We all know it, but no one wants to admit it – schools are outdated. Sure, there has been plenty of innovation and creativity shown by many school leadership teams, but the reality is that they never quite go far enough to meet the needs of all students, whatever those might be. Until we have a complete reform of the current model, transformational change and sustained impact won’t be achieved. ‘Arrive at this time; go to these places; aim towards these qualifications; learn this information; provide evidence in this format... ’ It doesn’t work. Students have been telling us for years that they don’t find this model engaging, relevant or purposeful. And guess what? They haven’t been telling us in the latest round of ‘student voice’ activities; they’ve been voting with their feet. Because they can. Standing in front of the school, chastising and berating students who are late, and constantly nagging non-attendees and their families will simply drive a deeper wedge between home and school. Instead, why not truly listen to what the students feel passionate about, and then facilitate A persistent ABSENCE | SUSPENSION | PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT School improvement advice for headteachers and SLT 51 teachwire.net/secondary L E A D E R S H I P