Tackling school absence using data: understanding the why and the how
Researchers from the University of Leeds are heading to Parliament to share how policymakers can act to address the school attendance crisis.
New evidence suggests that routinely-collected public service data can be better used to prevent and tackle school absenteeism.
Dr Megan Wood, along with colleagues from the School of Psychology and the Leeds Institute of Data Analytics, make up the team are behind this recent research. They are presenting their findings at this year’s ‘Parliamentary Evidence Week’ where they hope to speak to MPs and peers about what can be done to improve school attendance.
In this blog, Megan discusses the importance of the research and shares how national and regional policymakers should apply the findings.
Why is it so important that we improve school attendance rates?
Persistent school absence (an attendance rate of less than 90%) has nearly doubled from pre-pandemic levels and the consequences of this reach far beyond the classroom.
Previous research suggests that children who are more frequently absent from school are more likely to experience poor physical and mental health, damaged peer relationships, and struggle to develop social and non-academic skills that are learnt through school. Academic attainment also suffers, which can impact future job opportunities, increasing the risk of financial difficulties or involvement in crime. This is a problem that can snowball to ultimately impact children’s life chances.
It’s not just about grades and being physically present in the classroom, it’s the bigger picture. Frequently absent children miss out on valuable, developmental experiences that set them at a disadvantage.
How did you begin investigating this research area?
School absence is an escalating problem that needs urgent action, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. Now affecting around one in four children nationwide, it is something that the government and local authorities are really trying to crack down on. Due to the scale of the issue in Bradford, the City Council asked that we (the Centre for Applied Education Research in Bradford) investigate the impact of school absenteeism and how it can be addressed.
As my research background covers areas of inequality, particularly in childhood and educational development, I was keen to support this research project.
What was the aim of the school attendance project?
The project investigated two key research areas to help identify where and when interventions are needed to prevent school absence.
Firstly, we analysed data obtained from the Department for Education’s ‘Early Years Foundation Stage Profile’ (EYFSP). This is a statutory assessment in England where teachers measure school readiness (e.g., physical development, communication skills, numeracy) in reception-age children (age 4–5 years).
These data can be used to predict which children are more likely to be identified as having special educational needs and those who are less likely to reach expected attainment levels in their Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 SATs. It can also predict the young people who are more likely to be “Not in Education, Employment or Training (“NEET”) by the age of 17.
We hypothesised that if EYFSP could predict which children are ‘less school ready’, it can also predict which children will be less engaged with school and are therefore more likely to become a ‘persistent absentee’.
Secondly, we wanted to understand whether a ‘place-based approach’ would be more or less useful for tackling the issue of absenteeism. We investigated this by working with data scientists from the Leeds Institute for Data Analytics (LIDA) to conduct geospatial analyses across the Bradford District — something that had never been explored before.
Based on these research areas, we hoped to demonstrate how existing data can be used in policy making to prevent absenteeism and improve children’s livelihoods.
What kind of public service data were used?
Pseudonymised data for the entire Bradford District was obtained from the Connected Bradford population-based database and national school attendance records were provided by the Department for Education (DfE). The data sample covers the attendance rates reported by teachers and schools between 2015–2019. This period provides a unique baseline of insights that can be compared against attendance levels during and after the pandemic.
Unfortunately, using administrative or ‘real-world’ data as the basis for the research presented its challenges. Whilst we had access to vast quantities of records, the data wasn’t originally intended for research purposes. As a result, a lot of information was missing or needed extensive processing before it could be analysed.
What were your research findings?
Our investigation produced three main outcomes:
- We found that children who were deemed ‘not school ready’ (by the EYFSP) were over twice as likely to be a persistent absentee.
- Using the geospatial data, we found ‘hotspot’ areas across the Bradford district where there are high unauthorised absence rates. These are particularly prevalent around the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Yet, these are unevenly distributed amongst pupils.
- We found specific demographic factors correlate with an increased risk of being persistently absent. These include those who:
- Are eligible for free school meals,
- Have English as an additional language,
- Have special educational needs,
- Are from an ethnic group categorised as ‘other’ on the census.
What are your recommendations?
Our research shows the power of the EYFSP to highlight the children at risk of becoming persistently absent from school. We recommend that schools use this information to monitor those who are vulnerable and take early preventative action to keep children in school.
We suggest that it should become a standardised process to review and embed these data. By using existing information in a smarter way, we can prevent downstream costs and the escalation of issues with mental health and wellbeing. This recommendation doesn’t require additional resource, nor does it put additional burden on teachers.
In terms of implementation, a place-based approach should target areas where the need is greatest first, before putting resources into a district wide or regional intervention strategy. We recommend trialling this in ‘hotspot’ areas before a large-scale roll out.
Finally, schools cannot tackle this crisis alone. School absence is a huge issue that encompasses so many influential factors, like mental health, poverty and social care. We need support from other public services to help children get to school and be motivated to stay in school. No single service is solely responsible for the welfare and development of children.
What’s next for the project?
In September 2024, we will publish a policy report around school attendance that pulls together everything we have found as a team, but also the relevant work occurring across the N8 Universities. We will share this report with policy makers and local government to support them to practically and holistically tackle absenteeism. This will provide an opportunity for decision makers to understand where more research is needed to fill any knowledge gaps. We want to ensure that the outputs of this work are both useable and useful for achieving a lasting impact that improves the life chances of children across the country.
For more information on this project, Contact Dr Megan Wood or read the policy note ‘Improve school attendance’ (PDF).
Find more information on policy collaborations from across University of Leeds on the Policy Leeds website. If you would like to keep in touch with our work between signposts, please connect with us on LinkedIn, find us on X (formerly Twitter), or you can email us at policyleeds@leeds.ac.uk
