Hartlepool School's See Mixed Results in Attendance: New Strategies Introduced..

The rising number of children absent from school continues to remain a concern, according to a council report.

12th November 2024

School attendance figures in Hartlepool have reportedly shown 'mixed results' according to a report set to go before councillors next week, prompting the local council which in 2023 was declared an authority of no public confidence to implement new strategies aimed at boosting attendance rates.

The report set to go before the Children’s Services Committee outlines the latest data trends, including significant legislative changes and a multi-agency approach to tackle persistent absenteeism.

Attendance Rates in Hartlepool Continue to Climb Higher.

The report, compiled by the Council's Director of Children’s and Joint Commissioning Services, highlights pupil attendance data from the last three academic years (2021-2024). The figures reportedly reveal a concerning trend in secondary school attendance rates, which continue to lag behind the national average. The combined attendance for secondary schools in Hartlepool for the 2023-24 autumn and spring terms was 89.7%, compared to the national average of 91.3%. This shows a slight increase from the previous year's 89.3% but still indicates a 1.6% gap.

Boys in secondary schools showed an improvement, with attendance increasing to 90.3%, whilst attendance among girls slightly declined to 89.0%. In contrast, primary schools reportedly have fared better, recording a steady improvement with overall attendance reaching 94.4% in 2023-24, surpassing the national average of 94.0%.

Persistent Absence Remains a Challenge

Hartlepool has a higher than national average rate of Persistent Absent pupils, promoting officials to bring in new plans to curb the growing number of children missing education

Despite improvements in primary school attendance, Hartlepool is said to be facing an ongoing challenge with what's known as 'persistent absenteeism', particularly in secondary schools. The report notes that the persistent absence rate among secondary students was 28.6% for 2023-24, significantly higher than the national average of 23.8%. This means nearly one-third of secondary school students in Hartlepool were absent for more than 10% of school sessions.

For primary schools, the situation appears more promising. The persistent absence rate dropped to 16.6%, below the national average of 17.3%. However, the issue remains pressing, as even small percentages represent a significant number of students missing vital classroom time.

The primary reasons for absence were outlined as illness, unauthorised holidays during term time, and other unauthorised absences. Notably, unauthorised absences in both primary and secondary schools were reported to be above the national average, with Secondary schools in particular showing a marked increase in suspensions, with rates rising to 9.7% in the 2023-24 academic year, compared to a national figure of just 2.9%.

This increase in suspensions, coupled with a rise in unauthorised absences, highlights the need for a more robust strategy to address behavioural issues and family engagement according to the council report.

New Measures to Tackle Absenteeism

A new national data sharing strategy aims to enable quicker intervention in children being reported as being Persistently Absent

In response to the worrying trends, Hartlepool Borough Council claims its expanded its Attendance Team, now consisting of an Inclusion Coordinator, an Assistant Coordinator, and several Attendance Officers. The team’s primary responsibilities include monitoring school attendance, addressing cases of children missing education, and managing suspensions.

One significant change introduced in September 2024, following new Department for Education (DfE) guidelines, is the requirement for all schools and academies to upload attendance data daily to a centralised DfE portal. This new system allows for real-time monitoring of attendance across the region, enabling quicker intervention when issues arise.

The council has also rolled out a targeted support program, where schools with lower attendance rates receive bespoke interventions from dedicated Attendance Officers. The approach involves multi-agency collaboration, aiming to identify and address barriers to attendance early on.

Enforcement and Legal Actions Have Been Stepped Up

Hartlepool Borough Council's Attendance Team is also said to have significantly 'stepped up' enforcement measures. During the 2023-24 academic year, Hartlepool Borough Council issued 192 Penalty Notices to parents for unauthorised absences and initiated 181 prosecutions. The council stresses that legal action is a last resort, used only when all other support measures have failed.

The newly adopted "Working Together to Improve School Attendance" guidance emphasises a support-first approach, urging schools to work with families and other agencies to address underlying issues contributing to poor attendance. It aims to shift the focus from punitive measures to providing tailored support for families.

Looking Forward

The council is said to be emphasising that with 75% of schools and academies in the town opting to receive additional support services from the Council Attendance Team, they hope to see a positive shift in attendance rates. The emphasis is now said to be on collaborative efforts between schools, families, and the local council to create an environment where regular attendance is the norm rather than the exception.

The detailed proposals in the council report are set to go before councillors when they meet at the councils Children's Services Committee on the 19th November 2024.