Supporting schools with attendance

Priority years 1-3

In 2016, Hastings’ primary schools had the lowest level of attendance amongst all primary schools nationally, with rates of persistent absence in a number of schools being over 20%. Hastings’ mainstream secondary schools also faced significant attendance challenges. Our delivery plan highlighted improving attendance as a key cross-cutting priority of the programme.

We established a working group made up of representatives from Hastings schools, East Sussex County Council, Housing Associations, police and voluntary sector partners. Working collaboratively, we developed a programme to support schools in improving attendance.

The programme included:

• funding for East Sussex County Council Education Support, Behaviour and Attendance Service (ESBAS) to provide:
  – an enhanced early intervention support service
  – to pilot a fast track prosecution and fixed penalty process for parents whose children had 10 unauthorised absence sessions in a 6 week period
• an Attendance Fund, used to enable schools and partners to pilot in-school projects promoting positive attendance
• a Hastings-wide charter to improve attendance, setting out a core set of principles and expectations around promoting positive attendance for all schools and colleges
• a Hastings-wide attendance communications campaign promoting good attendance across Hastings schools.