School Attendance Website Pages

10 ideas about what to include and how to present it

An important part of improving attendance is communicating what’s expected and the support that is available. Your website is a really useful tool for this, and we recommend that you create a dedicated Attendance page on your school’s website that all stakeholders can access easily.

So, what should you include on there, how can you make it accessible for everyone, and how do you present this information in a clear way? Here are 10 ideas for creating a really useful resource for the school and for parents/carers: 

1. Policy
   Publish your Attendance and Punctuality Policy. If you have a pupil-friendly version of the attendance policy available include this on the page.

2. DfE Guidance
   Share a link to the DfE’s guidance and other material that might be helpful i.e. application for planned in-term absence, advice on medical reasons for absence etc.
   

3. Audio and other language formats
   You might like to record the policy on audio for people who have difficulty in reading, possibly recording it in other languages for some parents/carers within your community.
   

4. Key people
   Identify your Attendance Lead and their team – names and faces, emails, phone numbers etc. Promote who and how parents/carers can get in touch with the school to talk about their child’s attendance.  You might like to introduce the team on a short video.
   

5. Impact
   Share data which illustrates how absence impacts on learning (both the positive impact of high attendance and the negative impact of poor attendance). For example, how many hours learning are lost through poor punctuality or absence and the possible decline in GCSE grades, the benefits of attending school to develop a range of skills and qualities, and the positive impact on wellbeing and confidence.
   

6. Parental responsibility
   Remind parents/carers about their responsibilities if their child is absent. Set out your absence protocols and procedures.
   

7. School objectives and initiatives
   Inform parents/carers about the key aspects of your school’s improvement strategy – i.e. your school’s challenge/% target for individual pupils, recognition and celebration of good and improving attendance, support initiatives, agencies you might work with.
   

8. Communication channels
   Inform stakeholders about how you will share school and individual pupil data and other information about attendance i.e. termly parent letter about their child’s attendance, updates through the school’s social media, newsletters, parents’ evenings etc.
   

9. Support for new students
   Information about transition to the school; how do you support new pupils in settling in?
   

10. Mental health support
    Include information about how pupils with mental health or wellbeing challenges will be supported. You might signpost parents to the school’s Mental Health/Wellbeing page for additional information and advice as to how they can support their child’s wellbeing and school attendance.

Presentation

Do as much as you can to make the page attractive and lay it out clearly so that is easy to read and access. Check that the links to publications and documents work and ensure that policies and information are current and accurate (review this frequency as policies and guidance change). You should also make sure it’s easy to find in your website’s navigation.

Looking for further advice on improving attendance?

We can help with many aspects of attendance in schools. Contact us to discuss your needs.