Sutton recognises that improvements in overall school attendance rates can only be achieved through a truly collaborative approach across the local area multi-agency partnership. A partnership that includes pupils, families, education, health, social care, police, community, and voluntary sector agencies all working together to bring about positive change using solution focused, restorative and trauma informed approaches. Together WE can make a difference.
Partners understand that promoting positive school attendance is a responsibility that belongs to everyone and is an ethos that is central to achieve our ambition of at least 95% attendance for all pupils and ensure a significant reduction in persistent absenteeism. We acknowledge that for a small number of children this attendance figure will not be possible due to reasons of ill health, disability, or either social/emotional needs. In these cases, children’s attendance will be viewed within the context of each individual learner’s needs so that they can be supported to achieve their highest level of attendance.
As a partnership we commit to addressing the underlying issues families and communities face, including a commitment to working as a team around the family/school, removing barriers and meeting needs to support excellent school attendance and improve outcomes for all.
| Principles: |
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| We believe that school attendance is everyone’s business, and we take collective responsibility to work together to create positive change that enables children and young people to attend school regularly. |
| We commit to working restoratively and using solution focused and trauma informed approaches. Sharing information/data, advice, support, and resources, and where possible, we commit to finding alternative ways of working to eradicate systemic and operational barriers that are preventing change. |
| We will use data to support intervention to prevent lost learning. Recognising that patterns of low attendance can form early; we will encourage good attendance from the early years across all phases of education and intervene at the earliest opportunity to support positive attendance habits. |
| Poor attendance can be a safeguarding issue. We will ensure parent/carers, pupils and partners are aware of the importance of school attendance in children staying safe both at home and in the community and achieving their full potential through professional support and challenge. |
| We will work with parents and carers to help them prioritise school attendance and understand their roles as an identified partner, along with the multi-agency professional network. Support will utilise restorative and trauma-informed approaches rather than punitive approaches. |
| We recognise that barriers to attendance are often complex and can include a variety of factors within a family, environment, and the wider community. We are committed to breaking down these barriers. |
| We will hold each other to account when we are not meeting our commitments to improve attendance. |
| We will act as one voice to communicate, champion and create awareness of the importance of school attendance in keeping safe and achieving full potential. |