Dear Colleagues,

The government has published the guidance on attendance "Working together to improve school attendance".

Colleagues are now looking at what this means and setting out options for September 2022 and beyond. Further details from Andy Danks, the lead for the attendance service, can be found at "Working together to improve attendance" article in this edition of Heads Up.

Attendance for pupils vulnerable to poor outcomes was a key focus prior to the pandemic and also during the first two years of COVID19. We know how valuable high attendance in schools is to the lives of children and particularly to those who might otherwise face a range of difficulties in their lives and in their development.

I'm sure you are well aware of this and making it a strong feature of your work with pupils, parents and carers. If you are able to promote wider take up of education and development with your communities, such as the take up of the 2 year old funded place entitlement for eligible children alongside accessing the 3 and 4 year old funded hours, that would be very welcome. Further information on this can be found at  https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/childcarecosts.