School Trust’s Attendance Strategy Delivers ‘Huge’ Learning Gains Amid National Crisis
Written by Des Bird, Director of Secondary Improvement
The success of an innovative attendance strategy by Cumbria Education Trust (CET) shows how schools can effectively tackle attendance challenges at a time when national figures are causing serious concern for Ofsted.
According to Ofsted’s annual report, around 158,000 children missed at least half of their classes in the autumn and spring terms of the last academic year. In some areas, the situation is particularly acute in schools serving disadvantaged communities.
CET’s Impactful Approach
Against this challenging backdrop, CET’s approach has yielded impressive results, with attendance figures rising to 0.8% above the national average in 2023-2024 in secondary schools. This improvement translated into 4,540 extra days of learning compared to the national average – a significant achievement in supporting students’ education.
Workington Academy (WA) stands out as a particular success story, achieving attendance rates 2% above the national average, with persistent absence 7.5% lower than the national figure. These results are especially noteworthy given the school serves a community with a high proportion of disadvantaged students. Last year, WA achieved the second-best attendance rate of any school in Cumberland.
A Culture of Attendance
The success of CET’s strategy is that it places attendance at the heart of all we do, building a culture of high engagement and commitment. Gone are the days when a matter as important as this can be left to a small group of staff in a school – attendance is everyone’s responsibility.
The issue of school attendance has become increasingly complex nationwide. Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, notes that education has “become fractured and fragmented for too many children.”
Against this fragmenting landscape, CET’s success across its five secondary schools, all now performing at or above national averages for both attendance and persistent absence, demonstrates how a coordinated strategy centred on building relationships with families can effectively support regular school attendance.
The Wider Impact
The Trust’s positive impact extends to its primary schools, with several receiving recognition for their good attendance through awards from the Fischer Family Trust, a national independent data organisation. It is this wide-ranging success that has led to both of Cumbria’s Local Authorities, Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council. endorsing CET’s Cumbria-wide attendance project, which last year was attended by more than 70 schools.
In his briefing with journalists, Sir Martyn acknowledged that the shift to parents working from home since the pandemic had not helped attendance – particularly on Fridays. However, CET’s results show that with the right approach, schools can successfully tackle these emerging challenges and ensure more children benefit from regular classroom learning.
