Welcome to the new school year

It is probably a universal truth that ever since schools were created in their current form, teachers have had sleepless nights in the run up to the new school year. No matter how much planning goes on before and during the holidays, there is always that strange combination of edginess and anticipation as we all realise that a smooth first week can get the school off to a flying start.

This sense of nervousness does not just apply to the staff. It is felt even more by learners, and the first week is crucial for them. This first week is crucial for our learners as well. A good first week can be the foundations for the rest of the year. However, for that to happen, the children must be in school.

Many of us will have seen that the headline article on the BBC website on Sunday was Minister warns parents on school attendance ahead of new term – BBC News.

Its key finding was that

more than half of pupils who missed some of the first week went on to become “persistently absent” in 2024, compared with just 14% of pupils who fully attended the first week.

This will be particularly important at the critical transitions, where new sets of values are outlined, and expectations set. Miss these and catch up can be hard.

All schools work hard to get their Y7 pupils in and learning on the first day. Loreto High School in Chorlton Manchester is a prime example. They used the data which arrived as early as April through SixIntoSeven to initiate attendance planning.

They have told us that access to accurate attendance data has enabled the transition team to make more informed decisions and target support early. Pupils with concerning attendance records have received personalised invites to events such as “Life at Loreto,” “Friendship Day,” transition day, summer school, and September drop-in sessions. Parents of these pupils have also been contacted to build engagement.

We wish all well as they start their new year, whatever their role in school. And please remember, if you do have those sleepless nights, you are certainly not alone!

Should you wish to find out more about how Pupil Pathways can help you receive early attendance and other information, then we would love to hear from you.