Working together to improve school attendance
New DFE Guidance: Mental health issues affecting a pupil's attendance: guidance for schools February 2023
Summary of responsibilities where a mental health issue is affecting attendance and examples of effective practice. Guidance on how to support school attendance where there is a pupil experiencing social, emotional or mental health issues.
There is important updates relating to when mental health is impacting on attendance. This includes:
- This guidance applies to any pupils displaying any social, emotional or mental health issue that is affecting their attendance. It is not only for pupils who have a diagnosed mental disorder, or a disability or special educational need.
- The DfE encourages schools to identify a senior mental health lead who will have strategic oversight of their setting’s whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing.
- School staff must record absences as authorised where it is not possible for a pupil to attend due to illness (both physical and mental health related).
- There is no need to routinely ask for medical evidence to support recording an absence as authorised for mental health reasons. This is because, in general, primary care health professionals such as General Practitioners are unlikely to be able to offer such evidence to support one-off absences related to mental health.
- In instances of long-term or repeated absences for the same reason, however, seeking medical evidence may be appropriate to assist in assessing whether the child requires additional support to help them to attend more regularly, and whether the illness is likely to prevent the child from attending for extended periods.
- If a parent proactively seeks out a note from a GP, it does not imply a need for absence unless this is explicit in their letter.
Reminders
1. School Attendance Network – Save the Date
The Warwickshire Attendance Service and the Stowe Valley Multi Academy Trust are jointly planning a school attendance network event. The purpose of the event will be to discuss the new attendance guidance and begin the development of an attendance support network.
The proposed date is 6th March 2023, 12:30pm to 3:30pm
The initial meeting will be in person and is targeted at those responsible for school attendance, especially the school’s Attendance Champion. The venue is currently being arranged and further details will follow.
2. An invitation for schools to share daily attendance data and sign up for webinars
The DfE have advised local authorities that at some point this academic year they will start to contact schools who have not yet signed up to Wonde, as this will become a requirement. Sharing data means you’ll be able to access daily attendance reports on view your education data.
3. To help you access and use the free reporting service, the DfE have a series of webinars for schools, trusts and local authorities starting this month. They will be holding monthly webinars, where you can learn about new features and get support with non-urgent technical issues.
4. Working together to improve school attendance is now the attendance guidance that should be used for schools, trusts, governing bodies and local authorities.
5. Improving attendance: good practice for schools and multi-academy trusts. There are some really useful effective practice attendance webinars produced by the DfE in conjunction with schools, with good or improved attendance, sharing their good practice. It is highly recommended that your attendance lead/champion access this free resource.
6. Additional attendance resources are available on the Education Hub and Teaching Blogs
Contact Us
If you wish to discuss any issues relating to school attendance, please feel free to contact the Warwickshire Attendance Service: was@warwickshire.gov.uk
National Apprenticeship Week
National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) takes place between 6 to 12 February 2023 and is an opportunity for the education and skills sector to celebrate the achievements of apprentices around the country and the positive impact they make to communities, businesses, and the wider economy.
Schools, colleges, employers, career advisers and thousands of students come together online to celebrate Apprenticeships in support of the Government-run National Apprenticeship Week. Throughout the week, top employers and organisations come together to showcase their opportunities to thousands of attendees, who are actively seeking an apprenticeship.
From virtual career fairs, myth busting talks, graduation ceremonies through to factory tours, The Week has something for everyone. You will hear personal stories from apprentices and employers about their own journeys and experiences and why apprenticeships provide #SkillsForLife. We are keen to celebrate the diversity and value that apprenticeships bring to employers, apprentices and communities across England
Ofsted | Inspection Data Summary Report
The following data have been added:
- Key stage 2 revised
- Key stage 1 final
- Phonics final
They have also made minor changes to the pupil movement section of the secondary school IDSR.
For further information please see the IDSR guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-inspection-data-summary-report-idsr-guide
If you have any questions, please email the team at: School.Performance.Data@ofsted.gov.uk
This, and all future updates to the IDSR will also be announced on the IDSR News Page:
IDSR: news and updates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Warwickshire Safeguarding News Bulletin
Find the latest copy of Warwickshire Safeguarding's News Bulletin (volume 5). The Bulletin serves to provide a brief insight into recent publications, forthcoming events and links to useful resources.
Free Opportunity for Primary Teaching Assistants
Origin Maths Hub are offering primary schools in Solihull, Coventry and Warwickshire the opportunity to participate in this free programme.
Free CPD Opportunity for Primary Teachers
Origin Maths Hub are offering primary schools in Solihull, Coventry and Warwickshire the opportunity to participate in this free programme.
WES Maintained Schools Launch 2023-24
Warwickshire Education Services (WES) have launched their services for maintained schools in the county for 2023/24, offering specialist services that can help you to raise pupil attainment, improve operations, develop staff and resources, and ensure legal compliance.
WES services are aware of the budget pressures facing schools during the current cost of living pressures and are committed to supporting you through these difficult economic times and to providing outstanding services that offer real value for money.
Services have worked hard to keep our price changes for WES Subscription Services for 2023/24 as low as possible.
You can read more about the WES Service offer launch here.
If you have any queries about purchasing WES Services you can call WES Customer Care on 01926 412210 opt 2 then opt 3.
ACE 5-year anniversary – supporting over 400 families to adopt
Adoption Central England (ACE) is celebrating its 5th anniversary in February after forming in 2018 following the Government’s commitment to redesign and regionalise adoption services.
During the past 5 years, ACE is proud to have approved over 400 households for adoption and over 500 children have joined their adoptive families. Darren and Rebecca are one of ACE’s adoptive families and describe their journey to adopt a sibling group of 3.
Darren and Rebecca begin: “When we first decided that we wanted to pursue adoption as our first route of starting a family in February 2020, we would never have guessed that 3 years into the future we would have the three most wonderful children filling our house with so much love, fun, and laughter.
“Both of us had experienced the love, joy and frustrations of having siblings growing up. Combining this with having worked with many children and young people who had experienced trauma, we wanted to share our home, our love and our family with a sibling group who needed a forever home. The thought that any sibling group could be split up was devastating and so we started our process of adoption with Adoption Central England.
“Initially, we were worried about the assessment side of adoption: what if our social worker didn’t like us, didn’t think we would be good parents or thought we were crazy, but we couldn’t have been more wrong! She made the sessions a safe space where we could be open and honest about all parts of our lives and how bringing little ones who had gone through so much may change it. We are so thankful for all the support that we received throughout the process and continue to receive as we know we wouldn’t be the family we are today without it.
“We have very fond memories of our initial introduction to meet the children: reading them stories for the first time, being climbed on as a human slide, having water fights, and sitting down for our first mealtimes as a family. We also had many struggles and challenges as the children struggled with the earth-shattering change that happened in their life.”
ACE is the first and only adoption service to be certified in approaches informed by Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP). DDP is an approach that appreciates the impact of childhood developmental trauma and which supports adoptive parents to emotionally connect with their child to help them to build security and trust.
Darren and Rebecca continued: “Throughout it all, we experienced, first hand, the benefit of the therapeutic parenting we learnt about in training. Our children quickly started questioning “why do you not leave me when I’m cross,” “why won’t you shout at me?” or “why would you even love me?” All the training, both from stage one and from the fantastic support through the therapeutic team about PACE parenting, was fast becoming everyday life, and we were seeing that had a massive impact on the way our children were settling into their new home.
Continue reading here.
Hybrid Secondary Network Meeting by Warwickshire Libraries
Secondary school librarians/ English leads: You are warmly invited to the next hybrid Secondary Network meeting on Tuesday 14th February at 3.30pm-4.30pm.
You are welcome to join virtually or in-person. These are a great opportunity to gain knowledge, support and share ideas. We are delighted that we will be joined virtually for the first part of the session by guest speaker Amy Mckay. Amy was School Librarian of the Year in 2016. A familiar face at festivals and is the National Coordinator of YOTO Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medals. Describing herself as a ‘stealth librarian’, Amy lures readers into the library with innovative clubs and activities using her natural rapport to introduce them to the world of books and reading.
Do you need curriculum or reading for pleasure resources for your school?
Your Schools Library Service are always happy to help. They provide cost-effective termly topic boxes, annual reading for pleasure loans and reading group sets. The team can also come to your school and help you with organising your school library. Email them for more information at schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk