Education Endowment Foundation publishes new evidence on improving school attendance
The evaluation reports highlight a consistent message for schools that there is no single solution to improving attendance. Instead, effective strategies depend on strong relationships, inclusive culture, and targeted support tailored to pupils’ needs.
Key findings from the evaluations:
Attendance and Family Liaison Officers: Simply having dedicated roles did not lead to meaningful reductions in persistent absence. Impact depended more on how schools used staff and built relationships.
Internal provision models: No clear conclusion was reached on whether ‘embedded’ (within mainstream classes) or ‘parallel’ (separate provision) approaches were more effective.
United Against Bullying+ pilot: Improved awareness and school practice around bullying but showed limited evidence of changes in behaviour or attendance. Short-term intervention centres: These trauma-informed placements showed promise but were difficult to integrate into everyday school systems.
The EEF emphasises that improving attendance is less about adopting specific programmes and more about how schools operate day to day.
Recommended approaches include:
- Building an inclusive school culture where pupils feel safe and understood
- Providing targeted, individualised support, based on pupils’ circumstances
- Maintaining proactive, personalised communication with families
The findings also underline the importance of addressing persistent absence as a key equity issue, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.
Overall, the message for school leaders is clear: sustainable improvements in attendance come from consistent, relationship-driven practice rather than quick fixes or standalone interventions.
