Agenda item

To receive and consider a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development presenting evidence in line with Session 1 of the Board’s Inquiry into school attendance.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report which presented evidence in line with session 1 of the Scrutiny Board’s inquiry into school attendance.

The following information was appended to the report:

-  Update on Children’s Services Obsessions – Improving School Attendance – Report to Children’s Trust Board, 12^th September 2011

-  Attendance OBA events reoccurring outputs and suggestions

-  DfE press notice – Government changes definition of persistent absence to deal with reality of pupil absenteeism in schools

-  DfE Reducing absence – ensuring schools intervene earlier

-  Attendance Strategy persistent absence research report

-  Scrutiny statement on attendance – March 2010.

The following Executive Member and officers attended the meeting and responded to Members questions and comments:

-  Councillor Blake, Executive Member (Children’s Services)

-  Nigel Richardson, Director of Children’s Services

-  Jancis Andrew, Head of Service, Attendance Strategy Team, Children’s Services.

In brief summary, the key areas of discussion were:

• The multi-agency approach being adopted in relation to attendance.
• Provisional data for last year showed a good rate of improvement.
• Clarification that schools had a statutory duty to provide information regarding deletions from the school register and pupils that had more than 10 consecutive days of unauthorised absence.
• Issues around bullying and mental health.
• The importance of starting a culture of attendance from the early years.
• The work of clusters in tackling persistent absenteeism.
• The role of governing bodies in tracking attendance.
• Links to the Child Friendly City agenda

The Chair invited the relevant Executive Members and the Director to join the Board’s site visits on 8 December if they were available.

RESOLVED – That the issues raised be incorporated in the draft report of the Scrutiny Board’s inquiry.