Tackling Truancy

Martin Smith

3071ePackMay 04978 1 84070 607 9

• FACT: Over 8 million school days are lost each year because of truancy
• FACT: Only 8% of regular truants achieve five GCSE at grades A to C
• FACT: Poor attenders are three times more likely to commit a criminal offence than average

A critical whole school issue

The fight against truancy has never had a higher profile, with sweeps by police and welfare officers, hi-tech registration systems, increased fines and prison sentence for parents.

Tackling Truancy has been written to help you do just that. With a raft of suggestions, case studies and practical advice it is of value to the headteacher and senior management team.

Addressing the key points

The pack covers the following topics:

• Tackling truancy together: working with parents, police, and the Education Welfare Service
• How technology can make life easier
• Developing a whole school approach – long-term strategies for beating truancy
• Using incentive schemes to improve attendance rates
• Attendance and the law – a school’s obligations
• Why children truant and how it becomes a habit
• How changing your school can improve attendance
• How improving attendance can change your school
• Case studies – how some schools have cut non-attendance substantially

Some of the material can be used very constructively within PSHE lessons.

Note that this product forms part of:

• Developing Your Staff 1: Working with Students
• Primary School Management

Contents

Introduction

• Background
• Why children truant and the main causes of non-attendance
• The law regarding school attendance and the responsibilities of schools
• Managing school attendance
• Developing a school attendance policy
• Strategies to reduce truancy and promote regular school attendance

Conclusion

Bibliography