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NEWB Conference 2008

School Attendance and Participation:

What Works and Why? Report

National EducationalWelfare Board

An Bord NáisiúntaLeasa Oideachais

22. (1) “The board of management of a recognised school shall, after consultation with the principal of, teachers teaching at, parents of students registered at, and the educational welfare officer assigned functions in relation to the school, prepare and submit to the Board a statement of the strategies and measures it adopts for the purposes of fostering an appreciation of learning among students attending that school and encouraging regular attendance at school on the part of such students.....

....(7) The Board shall issue guidelines to boards of management of recognised schools for the purposes of this section.”

Education (Welfare) Act 2000

Contents

3 Foreword by Eddie Ward, CEO

4 Introduction

5 The Irish Context6 Attendance and students’ school experience in Ireland7 Conversations in 10 schools: Qualitative research on school attendance

9 The International Perspective10 Attendance as an aspect of engagement11 To attend or not to attend: Why some children attend school and other don’t?12 Tackling non-attendance in schools: A practical approach

15 Listening to Irish Practitioners16 Londubh Project, Inchicore16 Primary Attendance Matters, Northern Ireland17 North Inishowen School Completion Programme, Donegal17 Ballymun School Principal Network

19 Distilling the Learning

20 Appendices20 I Education (Welfare) Act 2000, Section 2221 II Programme

National Educational Welfare Board Conference 2008

1 School Attendance and Participation: What Works and Why?

Foreword

The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) was established in 2002 and has a statutory function to ensure that every child either attends a school or otherwise receives an education or participates in training. The Board was set up under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000. The Act is a progressive piece of legislation. It provides that NEWB will act at several levels in order to maximise children’s participation in education. While a core responsibility of the Board is to engage with individual children and their families who are experiencing significant school attendance problems, the Board is also required to help schools to prepare strategies that will foster an appreciation of learning and encourage regular attendance in the school.

The school is the lead player in the development and application of these strategies. Each board of management must prepare a statement of strategy that outlines how the school can promote and encourage attendance and participation. Under the Act, NEWB must develop and issue guidelines to support schools in this work.

In order to prepare guidelines that have the best chance of being helpful to schools and to students and families, we need to know more about why some children miss school, and why others, often from similar kinds of background and experience, do not. We need to understand why current education systems and structures appear to work for some but not for others. We need to know what strategies, plans and programmes work.

Good quality research and data are vital so that discussions about school attendance strategies are based on evidence and experience, both international and national. It was with this requirement for greater knowledge and insight into evidence based practice in mind that we planned our first national conference on school attendance and participation.

We will build upon this first event. Our dialogue with educators and researchers will continue. We will consult with parents, children and young people, community workers, psychologists and other agencies involved in the welfare of children and families. We will continue to support, and learn from, the wealth of good practice already taking place throughout the country, as evidenced by the selection of case study presentations at the conference.

NEWB looks forward to building upon the dialogue that began at the 2008 conference. We look forward to much more learning, analytical and critical discussion as the work on attendance strategies takes shape.

Eddie Ward, CEO





Introduction - Empowering and Supporting Schools

Empowering and supporting schools to be proactive in addressing school attendance and participation issues is a key responsibility of the NEWB.This conference was the first step in the development of guidelines to schools on school attendance strategies. Its main aim was to provide an in-depth understanding of the problem of absenteeism and then to start exploring what schools can do to address it.

The conference was attended by over 140 delegates, representing educators (41%), researchers (24%), child welfare workers (16%) and policy makers (6%) among others.

The Irish Context

Say I missed one day, and then went to go back, and then said ‘no’,

it made it harder to go back ... the teachers questioning me and asking

for notes ... moaning you’re so and so days out, just crap.

“

“


6 School Attendance and Participation: What Works and Why? The Irish Context

The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) was commissioned by NEWB to review key existing Irish and international studies on school attendance, as a first step in developing a sound research basis for work on the development of guidelines on school attendance strategies.

Called Attendance and students’ school experience in Ireland, the main aims of this exploratory study were to:

Develop a profile of poor attenders in Irish post-primary schools, identifying the key gender, social background and regional characteristics of poor attenders;

Examine the subjective and attitudinal characteristics of students with different patterns of attendance;

Analyse the relationship between school organisation and climate and attendance patterns;

Examine the impact of attendance behaviour on early school leaving, examination performance and longer-term post-school outcomes.

The exploratory study was based on secondary sources drawn from four main data sources: The School Leavers’ Survey 2002; Schools Database 1994; Junior Cycle Longitudinal Study; and Part time Work among Post Primary Students Study 2004.

Some of the key findings of the study were:

Young men and students who are older than the average class age are more likely to ‘skip school’;

Non-attendance patterns show a strong association with membership of the Traveller Community;

School attendance patterns are strongly linked to family background characteristics and parental levels of education;

Attitudes to school differ between those with good and poor attendance records. Those with better attendance records are likely to say that ‘school life is a happy one for me’ and are positive about the benefits of schooling. Students who skip school are more likely to feel that teachers don’t care about them and that they can’t talk to their teacher if there is a problem;

Students who consider themselves ‘below average’ within their year group, or who have lower educational expectations tend to have significantly higher absenteeism rates;

School organisation and ethos can make a difference to student attendance. In particular, students respond to positive interaction with teachers and to higher teacher expectations. Other factors which impact upon attendance include the size of the school and ability grouping. Absenteeism is found to be lower among students in higher stream and mixed ability groupings;

Students attending predominantly working class schools tend to have higher absenteeism levels, regardless of their own social backgrounds;

Among schools with students from a similar mix of social backgrounds, some schools are more successful than others at promoting student attendance;

Outside factors influence school attendance negatively, in particular part-time working, social life and household labour (especially among females).

There is evidence that participation in sports has a positive impact on attendance;

Poor attendance while at school has implications in the short-term in terms of school completion and poor examination performance;

In the longer term, those who frequently ‘skip’ school are less likely to progress to further study. This is the case even among those with similar Leaving Certificate performances to their peers who attend school regularly;

Poor attenders face greater difficulty in accessing paid employment after leaving school.

The study outlined particular issues for schools, including the need to examine school climate; the level of student involvement; the nature and delivery of the curriculum; learning supports in place as well as the importance of ad-dressing attendance issues early as a means of preventing drop-out and the longer term impacts of absenteeism.

Attendance and students’ school experience in Ireland Merike Darmody, Research Officer, Economic and Social Research Institute



Conversations in 10 schools: Selected findings from qualitative research on school attendance Emmet O’Briain, Associate Director, Ipsos MORI

The Ipsos MORI research was undertaken to build upon data previously collected by the NEWB. The Board wished to deepen its understanding about the nature of school absenteeism and the factors that have an impact on school attendance.

This small scale study had both qualitative and quantitative aspects. It examined attendance patterns in ten schools, both urban and rural, primary and post primary, across the five NEWB regions. It explored the views of parents, teachers, Educational Welfare Officers and students about their experience of the factors affecting attendance, and their views about ‘what works’ in improving attendance. The schools involved had a good or active relationship with the NEWB.

The presentation at the conference concentrated on the qualitative element of the research project involving 44 structured in-depth interviews. While the interviews took place in 2006, it was felt that the views expressed by the various stakeholders on reasons for, and solutions to, non-attendance remain relevant and insightful.

Emmet O’Briain called for further qualitative research. He stressed that there is a need to hear the voices of students, parents, teachers, EWOs and other involved in the educational welfare of children about attendance and about what students need to participate in school. He said that when these views and experiences are analysed systematically, the complete story of non-attendance, and how to work with students and families to minimize it, can begin to emerge.

The study explored the cost of non-attendance to parents, schools and students. For parents, there was the cost in terms of stress and health, professional and personal sacrifices. As one parent said:

“I get him in at a quarter past nine and then I come up and stand outside every day at lunchtime to make sure he doesn’t get out of school and then I collect him at half-twelve. That’s the most I can do.”

There were also the costs to the school, including time lost in investigations, remedial and ‘catch-up’ teaching as well as disharmony. For the pupil there was the cost of the educational deficit, as well as peer and staff alienation. As one pupil said;

“And then some days, some of them got on really well with the teachers, but I didn’t really know them because I

wasn’t there .. the other students would be in more and I wouldn’t be in to get to know them.”

In contrast to popular stereotypes, the study found that parents were engaged in and committed to the resolution of their children’s attendance problems. In addition, the research found that all schools involved in the research project were equally committed to tackling non-attendance. Schools, parents and NEWB have common aims and can have a complementary influence on attendance patterns, the study found. A principal in a post-primary school summed this up by stating:

“Most parents what they want is to see their child included, happy and looked after. We provide a service to whatever kids come through that gate and that is our mission.”

Students and parents were more likely to locate the explanations for school attendance at a personal level, citing a teacher’s attitude or student’s attitude or an individual reaction to a particular situation as the root cause for non-attendance. One primary pupil’s non-attendance was due to an isolated confrontation with an individual teacher, for example.

“[The teacher] was slagging me nanny, that’s ... when I didn’t come to school, she said my nanny couldn’t read.”

Teachers and EWOs, in contrast, were more likely to locate their explanations for attendance at a structural level. They took into account issues such as socio-economic factors, the culture of education within the home, as well as the school environment.

The development of programmes for re-engagement for students with poor attendance was considered crucial by all. All agreed that prevention and early intervention should be the focus. A primary school parent said:

“If [he] had been caught in the first few weeks, he would have been grand. [He] saw the psychologist in July. He didn’t warrant therapy for whatever he had. [He] just wanted to go to school.”

The qualitative study also asked respondents for their views on ‘what works’. All stakeholders said that co-operation, respect in communications and the recognition of the individual were essential. One parent said that there had been a substantial improvement in her daughter’s



attendance when the school co-operated with her and listened to her opinions. EWOs and schools noted that cross-service and cross-school co-operation helped improve attendance. School staff stressed the need for school-based alternatives to the formal curriculum that may be excluding or marginalising some students.

There was agreement that there is no one solution to school attendance. The approaches that were often the most successful were developed as ‘needs must’ strategies to particular circumstances, characterized by flexibility and pragmatism.

The International Perspective

If students do not feel missed then there is a problem. They

are tourists in the classroom not citizens of the classroom

“

“


10 School Attendance and Participation: What Works and Why? The International Perspective

Absenteeism is an intentional unauthorised absence from compulsory schooling. Eighteen percent of Irish students are regularly absent, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2000, called Student Engagement in School. A further analysis shows that Irish attendance rates are better than those reported in Spain, Denmark, Poland and 13 other countries but worse than those in many other countries including France, the UK and Japan. PISA is based on large, nationally representative samples of 15 year old students in 43 countries.

However, many researchers view absenteeism as part of a broader construct called disengagement, according to Professor Doug Willms, who put forward the argument that the debate should move beyond simple attendance at school to one of engagement with school.

Willms emphasised that one of the most important aspects of engagement is students’ sense of belonging at school. This pertains to students’ ‘attachment at school, which has to do with feelings of being accepted and valued by their peers and by others at their school.’

Again, according to PISA 2000, the vast majority of Irish students have a positive disposition towards school. However, 20% have a low sense of belonging at school. Research has shown that many develop this poor sense of belonging during the primary classes, becoming increasingly disaffected over time. Disengagement has been shown to have deleterious effects to students’ health, often leading to anxiety and depression. It can also affect their academic outcomes and attendance.

Strategies to increase engagement and reduce absenteeism need to include early intervention and support for families, particularly at the infant class stage when issues such as language development, social skills and parenting styles have major impacts on a child’s progress. Other strategies should focus on reducing academic failure, altering classroom practice, improving school climate and monitoring engagement and well-being.

With regard to reducing academic failure specifically, Willms stressed that the ability to read is a fundamental skill for children’s success in school, and ultimately for their long- term health and well-being. The most critical

transition, he said, is from learning-to-read to reading-to-learn, which typically occurs at about age eight or nine. Literacy trajectories are established early; children on a low trajectory tend to stay on that trajectory and fall further behind. The later children are identified as needing support, the more difficult it is to catch up. Teaching children to read, then, is a science which needs the appropriate expertise and support to be successful, he advised.

Improvements in engagement and well-being also depend upon key classroom indicators including effective learning time and disciplinary climate. Discipline is not simply about students complying with rules and regulations; it is concerned with whether there is a clear set of rules that are understood by the students and whether teachers maintain high expectations that these rules are followed.

Other influencing factors include teacher expectation; whether teachers and staff project the belief that all students can succeed academically. Finally, teacher-student relations are crucial to students’ sense of belonging and attendance. Students tend to have better schooling outcomes when adults are responsive to their needs and encourage independence with a democratic approach.

Willms outlined a web-based assessment system called Tell Them From Me which he has worked on to monitor engagement and wellbeing in Canada. The system is an excellent communication tool for sharing information with teachers, principals and school administrators. It also provides a chance for dialogue with young people in a format with which they are familiar and gives them a sense of control over their own learning. It gathers feedback from students and teachers and measures 16 student outcomes pertaining to student engagement, and 15 aspects of classroom and school learning climate that are known to affect learning outcomes. The quick and continuous feedback enables educators to immediately assess whether ongoing school reforms are actually having their intended effect.

Willm’s research shows that in the long run, engagement may be more important than academic achievement in determining students’ economic success, health and wellbeing. Moreover, student engagement can be affected by parents and teachers, and shaped by school policy and practice. Willms offered to work with Irish professionals on the development of a similar web-based assessment system on a pilot basis.

Attendance as an aspect of engagement Prof. Doug Willms, Professor of Education, University of New Brunswick, Canada



To attend or not to attend: Why some children attend school and other don’t? Prof. John Dwyfor Davis and John Lee (Reader) School of Professional and Learning Studies, University of the West of England

A substantial amount of research has been undertaken into the potential causes of non-attendance. What is less common, however, is substantive evaluation of the efficacy of the initiatives that attempt to address the challenge of non-attendance. In other words, there is too little work into ‘what works’, according to Professor John Davies and John Lee.

The presenters addressed the issue of why certain students, who apparently will gain little from school in terms of certification, continue to attend school. They argued that ignoring the reasons why students actually attend school is a major oversight in current research. They said that “what is needed is more understanding of how students understand the value of school not merely the understanding of school rejecters.”

The presentation drew firstly (phase 1) on qualitative data collected from a small sample of school students (13 non-attending young people and 35 students who have a satisfactory attendance record), parents, teachers and Educational Welfare Officers in the Bristol area.

The approach was, in actuality, more of a pilot study, and the presenters noted that caution had to be exercised in generalising the findings. Despite the caution, however, clear themes emerged:

The students tended not to come from families within which there is a history of non-attendance;

They were articulate and clear sighted in offering reasons for staying out of school;

The main reasons for non-attendance were bullying, poor relations with teachers, an inability to engage with a large organisation, sickness as well as transitions and transfers;

They identified the quality of relationships with staff in terms of what they saw as ‘mutual respect’ and being treated in an ‘adult fashion’;

Interestingly, curriculum was not seen as a big problem by many of the cohort;

The majority of parents wanted their children to attend school and felt they themselves had been deprived of education;

There was a poor home/school communications

system. Schools were viewed as being arrogant towards parents and teachers;

Professionals viewed curriculum reform as essential in re-engaging students;

Professionals did not see poor student/teacher relationships as a causal factor.

In short, “parents and pupils blame the teachers and teachers blame the parents,” the presenters said.

In phase 2 of the study, the presenters interviewed 35 students with good attendance records (including three who had extremely challenging behaviour) from two schools serving very different communities, again in the Bristol area. These students were not expected to attain any kind of certification that would be valued in the world outside school. As a group they met criteria usually used to identify persistent non-attenders.

However, contrary to stereotype, it was not uncommon for these students to say that they liked to come to school, not least because it was a place where they could “make new friends” and meet existing friends.

School was also seen as a safe place. Although bullying was raised as an issue, the students indicated that they were mature enough not to be intimidated by the pressures placed on them by peers and felt safe enough within the school context. This was in major contrast to the response of the non-attenders about bullying.

The attending students had good relationships with teachers and understood that school taught things of value. They also saw the development of a work ethic as an intrinsic and valued attribute of school attendance. Learning how to work was not a feature of the responses of non-attenders.

Again, unlike the students who are poor attenders, these students had more to say about the curriculum. They were concerned that it needed to include academic and vocational elements. As one boy said: “You should do stuff for work like mechanics and building then you’ll get a job.”

The presenters concluded that more effective attendance policies in the future should ensure that schools are more student and parent centred and that pupils are viewed as



active, participative learners. In addition, they concluded that the curriculum should be assessed and that it should include high quality vocational education to suit the needs of all students. There should also be better recognition of student achievements.

In addition, they recommended that there should be support to encourage professional development which focused on the ‘softer’ skills to ensure that relationships across the school are positive.

This presentation focused on school strategies to reduce non-attendance and to promote and improve participation in schools. It drew upon the results of a comprehensive, four year research and development programme in Amsterdam (The Netherlands), which addressed the problems, risks and challenges associated with non-attendance amongst 10-15 year olds in 240 primary and secondary schools.

Some of the baseline findings of this major research project were that:

Nine percent of pupils were not in school regularly; the average non-attendance in secondary school was 12% (shifting from 6% in year 1 to 17% in year 3) and 3.7% in primary school;

42% of the non-attenders were regarded as problematic and at risk;

Attendance levels differed hugely across schools;

Parents were more proactive in informing schools about absences in primary school. 85% of parents informed at primary level while only 40% informed at year 3 of secondary. There was no follow-up after one week in 30-50% of the cases;

Non-attendance was higher if parents and schools were more tolerant;

Important risk factors for non-attendance included low achievement, school type, educational attainment of the parents, peer pressure or the accumulation of youth at risk in a class or year.

A number of key challenges were identified for the project including the development of:

An understanding of the reasons for non-attendance;

An efficient system for dealing with being late and absenteeism;

Sufficient staff during peak hours (morning) to deal with phone-calls from parents and follow-up;

Registration systems and monitoring systems to include school responses on non-attendance;

Improved communication with parents and pupils, parental involvement and student support services;

Strict and fair policies with increased personalized and supportive responses;

Improved classroom and school climate.

Van Veen stated: “If children do not feel missed then there is a problem. They are tourists in the classroom and not citizens of the school.”

In order to begin to address these challenges, the researchers undertook specific interventions or “experiments” in selected school groupings. The strategies employed included i) improving school climate and parental involvement, ii) communicating a clear behavioural code and follow up policy, iii) developing policies to deal with lateness and iv) developing interagency support structures for schools to help identify causes of non-attendance and to support modes of intervention and prevention. Specifically:

In 30 primary schools with high non-attendance, the researchers focused on improved registration, follow-up, and intensified communication with the parents, including targeted interventions;

In 6 secondary schools with good attendance, they focused on developing a system of fast response;

In 1 low performing secondary school, the focus was on discipline and management;

Finally, in 12 secondary schools, the researchers focused on building improved learning and behaviour support

Tackling non-attendance in schools: A practical approach Prof. Dolf Van Veen, Director, Netherlands Youth Institute/National Centre for Education and Youth Care



teams and concentrated specifically on the development of fast responses in cases of frequent illnesses.

The research showed that there is no ‘magic bullet’ for addressing non-attendance. However, it was clear that strategies on prevention and pedagogy were more successful than repressive strategies. Some of the practical learning showed that:

Registration is vital. This should include a rapid response system that identifies the reason for non-attendance;

It is important to pay attention to lateness. Lateness is often an indication of the beginning of a problem and needs a rapid and intense response.

Ongoing analysis of attendance and timekeeping data at pupil, class, year, group and school level is vital in

understanding reasons for non-attendance and then developing school level strategies that work;

Effective school strategies for non-attendance must be integral to the pupil and parent support systems;

Non-attendance is lower if teaching and learning are personalized, if students feel “missed” and if students like to be at school;

Personal (phone) contact with parents on attendance is vital. Letters don’t work;

It can be effective to encourage peers to visit non-attenders;

Students were more likely to re-engage if their peers inform and help them with homework they have missed.

Listening to Irish Practitioners

Good attendance is a habit learnt.“ “


16 School Attendance and Participation: What Works and Why? Listening to Irish Practitioners

The Londubh Project demonstrated particularly the power of inter-agency co-operation and commitment. It is a community-based, preventative project targeting children from ages 4 -12, located in Inchicore, Dublin – an area which has experienced multiple disadvantage.

It was established under a Government led initiative in 1998 called Integrated Services Process (ISP), which aimed to “to develop new procedures to ensure a more focused and better co-ordinated response by statutory authorities to the needs of the communities with the greatest level of disadvantage.”

Underpinning the Londubh structure is a framework consisting of an interagency management committee, an interagency monitoring committee and a referral, planning and evaluation system. The presenters stressed that the success of the project was based on the fact that it is agency rather than person dependent; that there is shared ownership of the vision and that it is ‘in school but not of the school.’

Londubh works in a holistic manner, during and after school hours, to provide a secure and nurturing environment in which children’s needs can be met, including their need to engage with school.

Londubh operates many creative and age appropriate small and after school groups including Time to Talk,

which encourages communications skills development; Incredible Years; Helping Hands, which encourages children to develop protective factors and coping skills; Positive People which concentrates on self awareness and relationships; Friends, which focuses on anxiety and stress management; Bubble Gum Guy and Volcano in my Tummy, both of which concentrate on anger management.

One of the main findings of the project, assessed over the school year 2005-2006, was that between 93% and 97% of children participating showed some improvement in at least one critical area: Attendance; punctuality; behaviour in class/session; participation in class/session; social interaction with peers and with adults; self confidence and motivation.

Specifically, teachers assessed that 40.4% showed some improvement in attendance and 36.2% showed improvement in punctuality.

Linked to these findings on attendance, Londubh helped improve the children’s overall sense of belonging in school. As the presenters pointed out:

“Children spoke of Londubh helping them to have fun, to get on better on school, to behave well in school, to control their behaviour, to get help with problems at home and at school, and to be kind, nice and good.”

Londubh Project, Inchicore Mary Keogh, Principal, Our Lady of Lourdes NS, Inchicore

Julie Mulligan, Childcare Worker, Londubh Project

Primary Attendance Matters (PAM) is a programme that has been designed and tested to assist primary schools in Northern Ireland to manage and promote school attendance. The key to its success is the emphasis on whole school commitment and buy-in to the importance of attendance.

The programme started as a pilot carried out in 2004 in 10 primary schools. The educational welfare officers and the

schools worked together to develop a resource pack which would help other schools to manage and promote their attendance. When the pilot was evaluated, it showed that all schools involved had improved their attendance, ranging between 0.2% and 11.8% over a three month period .

Following the success of the evaluated pilot programme, PAM was rolled out to primary schools across Northern Ireland where the Education Welfare Service (EWS) and

Primary Attendance Matters, Northern Ireland Alex Barr, Chief Education Welfare Officer, Southern Education and Library Board, Northern Ireland



North Inishowen School Completion Programme, Donegal Connell McGrenra, SCP Co-ordinator

Since 1999, Carndonagh Community School has focused on school attendance as part of its mission to create ‘the best school in which to teach, learn, work and play.’ It provides evidence of the difference which can be made when the response to attendance is a priority with senior management and is an integral part of the school ethos. As Connell McGrenra outlined, “good attendance is a habit learnt.”

The focus on attendance originally grew out of unique social and cultural circumstances in North Donegal. North Inishowen was traditionally an area with few employment opportunities. Early school leaving was a prominent feature of the area because many students simply left school to take up industrial jobs that did not necessarily require school certification. This trend was exacerbated by the need for many students to contribute to family incomes in a region of disadvantage.

The school’s attendance programme revolves around an attendance monitoring system which allows the school

to spot attendance trends quickly; to intervene early in order to prevent persistent non-attendance; to analyse the reasons why pupils are not attending school and to then develop creative initiatives which help to address the needs of individual students in the location.

These initiatives, which range from curriculum changes to family visits to school football tournaments – are underpinned by a number of key principles. The approach must be student centred. Initiatives must be carried out in partnership with the parents and the student. Intervention must be consistent and continuous and finally, there is a better chance of success with preventative strategies rather than reactive ones.

McGrenra reported that a recent school survey showed that the three most common reasons for non attendance were illness, medical appointments and family problems. Interestingly, he also said that the ’20 Day Reporting Requirement’ was being seen by some students and parents as an entitlement to miss 20 days in the school year.

school felt they would benefit from the support. PAM continues to revolve around a comprehensive yet easy to follow, resource pack backed up with intensive support from the EWS.

The school, with the support of the EWS, develops and reviews attendance data, policy and approaches in

schools; provides materials to parents; provides student education and information materials such as worksheets and lesson plans; encourages improved attendance with certificates and awards; and focuses on specific attendance assemblies and attendance weeks. In addition, particular attention is paid to students making transitions from primary to post primary education.

Ballymun School Principal Network Marian Hackett, Principal, Holy Spirit GNS, Ballymun

The Ballymun School Principal Network demonstrates how a problem shared, can be more than a problem halved.

Within 10 minutes walk of one another in Ballymun in North Dublin, there are 11 schools – 10 primary and 1 secondary – serving 2,800 children between 4 and 18. Instead of working in isolation, however, Marian Hackett outlined how these 11 schools joined forces to tackle issues of common concern,

including attendance. By networking, sharing information and maximizing resources, they discovered that there is strength in the collective approach and that issues such as attendance can be tackled both at an individual school and at a community level. Inter-agency co-operation is also key to the programme’s success.

The benefits of the network include a better understanding



of the educational issues facing the community, a stronger voice for pupils, more clarity of purpose, better use of expanded resources, improved integration of services and the development of interagency work.

Hackett said that involvement in the network does not require onerous time commitment from the principals for the many benefits accrued. The network meets once a month for approximately 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours. It is supported by the Ballymun Partnership which provides services such as secretarial support, financial support, small scale grants to promote attendance and psychological services, education opportunities and motivation.

The vision of the network is ‘That all the children of Ballymun are educated, optimistic, happy, healthy, drug free and safe and are afforded opportunities to maximize their potential.’

In order to make this vision a reality, the network engages in constant monitoring of school attendance, promotes a positive physical and social school environment, ensures that there is support for pupils with learning difficulties as well as support for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Its priorities, Hackett said, are to improve literacy, numeracy, attendance, ICT, and curriculum enhancement as well as ongoing professional development for teachers.

Distilling the Learning – Some Key Points

1. There is no one solution or ‘magic bullet’ to school attendance. The approaches that are often the most successful are developed as to address particular circumstances and are characterised by flexibility and pragmatism. (IPSOS MORI and The Amsterdam Project)

2. There is a need for further research, in particular qualitative research and specifically research into the reasons why children stay in school. (Ipsos MORI, The Bristol Experience)

3. Teacher-student relations are crucial to students’ sense of belonging and attendance. (Attendance as an aspect of engagement; ESRI, Ipsos MORI, The Bristol Experience, The Amsterdam Project)

4. Teacher expectation – whether teachers and staff project the belief that all students can succeed academically –influences student engagement and attendance. (Attendance as an aspect of engagement)

5. Curriculum should be assessed to ensure that it suits the needs of all students. It should also include high quality vocational education. (IPSOS MORI and The Bristol Experience)

6. Registration and ongoing analysis of data is vital. This should include a rapid response system that identifies the reason for non-attendance. (The Amsterdam Project, Carndonagh Community School)

7. It is important to pay attention to lateness as an indication of the beginning of an attendance problem. (The Amsterdam Project)

8. Personal (phone) contact with parents on attendance is vital – letters don’t work. (The Amsterdam Project)

9. It can be effective to encourage peers to visit non-attenders and to help them with homework missed. (The Amsterdam Project)

10. Interagency support is vital to respond to attendance issues effectively. (Londubh, Ballymun Principals Network).

11. Intensive support from the Education Welfare Service can help schools develop a whole school and community approach to tackling non-attendance (Primary Attendance Matters).


19 School Attendance and Participation: What Works and Why? Distilling the Learning – Some Key Points


20 School Attendance and Participation: What Works and Why? Appendix I - Education (Welfare) Act 2000, Section 22

Appendix I - Education (Welfare) Act 2000, Section 22

22. (1) The board of management of a recognised school shall, after consultation with the principal of, teachers teaching at, parents of students registered at, and the educational welfare officer assigned functions in relation to, that school, prepare and submit to the Board a statement of the strategies and measures it proposes to adopt for the purposes of fostering an appreciation of learning among students attending that school and encouraging regular attendance at school on the part of such students (hereafter in this section referred to as a “statement of strategy”).

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), a statement of strategy shall provide for –

(a) the rewarding of students who have good school attendance records;

(b) the identification at an early stage of students who are at risk of developing school attendance problems;

(c) the establishment of closer contacts between the school concerned and the families of students to which paragraph (b) applies;

(d) the fostering, promoting and establishing of contacts by the school with –

(i) other schools that provide primary or post-primary education,

(ii) bodies engaged in the provision of youth work programmes or services related thereto, or engaged in the organising of sporting or cultural activities, and

(iii) such other bodies within the area in which the school concerned is situated as the board of management considers appropriate;

(e) in so far as is practicable, the development, following consultation with the bodies referred to in paragraph (d), of programmes of activities designed to encourage the full participation of students in the life of the school;

(f) in so far as is practicable, the coordination with other schools of programmes aimed at promoting good behaviour among students and encouraging regular attendance at school by students, and the exchanging of information relating to matters of behaviour and school attendance with such schools;

(g) the identification of –

(i) aspects of the operation and management of the school and of the teaching of the school curriculum that may contribute to problems relating to school attendance on the part of certain students, and

(ii) strategies –

(I) for the removal of those aspects as far as they are not necessary or expedient for the proper and effective running of the school having regard, in particular, to the educational needs of students, and

(II) that will encourage more regular attendance at school on the part of such students.

(3) The board of management of a recognised school shall, in preparing a statement of strategy, have regard to such guidelines issued by the Board regarding the preparation and carrying into effect of statements of strategy.

(4) A statement of strategy prepared and submitted by the board of management of a recognised school, in accordance with subsection (1), shall be carried out by that board of management in accordance with its terms.

(5) The board of management of a recognised school may, with the consent of the Minister, and for the purpose of giving effect to a statement of strategy prepared and submitted by it in accordance with this section, appoint such and so many teachers employed by it, as it considers appropriate, to liaise with the parents of students registered at the school concerned and to give such assistance to the families of those students as the board of management concerned considers appropriate.

(6) Two or more boards of management of recognised schools may, if they consider it appropriate, coordinate, and cooperate in, the carrying out of statements of strategies prepared and submitted by them in accordance with subsection (1).

(7) The Board shall issue guidelines to boards of management of recognised schools for the purposes of this section.

(8) The statement of strategy prepared by the board of management of a recognised school shall be included in the plan prepared by it under section 21 of the Act of 1998.

Appendix II - Programme


21 School Attendance and Participation: What Works and Why? Appendix II - Programme

9:30am – 10:10am Opening Session: The Irish context

Making every school day count Eddie Ward, CEO, NEWB

Attendance and students’ school experience in Ireland Merike Darmody, Research Officer, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI)

Conversations in 10 schools: Qualitative research on school attendance Emmet O’Briain, Associate Director, Ipsos MORI

10:10am – 11:30am Plenary 1: Why do children miss school and what makes them stay? An international perspective

Chair: Prof Claire W. Lyons, Head, Department of Learning, Society, Religious Education, TED (Targeting Educational Disadvantage) Mary Immaculate College, Limerick

Attendance as an aspect of engagement Prof. Doug Willms, Professor of Education, University of New Brunswick, Canada

To attend or not to attend: Why some children attend school and other don’t? Prof. John Dwyfor Davies, School of Professional and Learning Studies, University of the West of England John Lee, Reader, Department of Education, University of the West of England

Questions

11.30am – 12:00pm Break

12:00pm – 1:00pm Plenary 2: Strategies to address poor attendance and participation

Chair: Pat McSitric, NEWB Board member, Department of Education and Science, Limerick Regeneration Project

Tackling non-attendance in schools: A practical approach Prof. Dolf van Veen, Director, Netherlands Youth Institute/National Centre for Education and Youth Care, The Netherlands

Questions

1:00pm – 2:15pm Lunch

2:15pm – 2:30pm Afternoon Session

Address by Mary Hanafin T.D., Minister for Education & Science

2:30pm – 3.45pm Plenary 3: Improving school attendance in Ireland: What’s working and why?

Chair: Aidan Savage, National Co-ordinator, School Completion Programme

Londubh Project, Inchicore Mary Keogh, Principal, Our Lady of Lourdes NS, Inchicore Julie Mulligan, Childcare Worker, Londubh Project

Primary Attendance Matters, Northern Ireland Alex Barr, Chief Education Welfare Officer, Southern Education and Library Board, Northern Ireland

North Inishowen School Completion Programme, Donegal Connell McGrenra, SCP Co-ordinator

Ballymun School Principal Network Marian Hackett, Principal, Holy Spirit GNS, Ballymun

4:00pm – 4:20pm Closing Session: Shaping Our Future Approach

Towards attendance strategies that work: Distilling the learning Nuala Doherty, Director of Educational Welfare Services, NEWB

newb conference 2008 school attendance and participation ... · 4 school attendance and...

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