DfE Summer term of events

A series of webinars to help everyone’s understanding of the changes in the updated Working together to improve school attendance guidance are being facilitated by the DfE. The webinars below are for both LAs and schools. 

Because of the number of attendees these are being done through eventbrite, view all the events here. You will receive a link to the webinar and reminders through the Eventbrite site.

•  7 May 3.30pm – 4.30pm: The Senior Attendance Champion role

School Senior Lead for attendance This webinar will explore the key role of the senior attendance champion within the school SLT. It will cover their role in relation to setting the strategy and vision; developing effective policies; and use of data and evaluating impact.

• 13 May 3.30pm– 4.30pm Working Together to Improve School Attendance

 DfE guidance overview for schools This webinar will cover the key principles behind the DfE's 'Working Together to improve school attendance' guidance. It will highlight the main expectations for schools, and what has changed in the latest update for Autumn term 2024. 

• 22 May 3.30pm – 4.30pm School attendance register

Attendance and absence codes This webinar will provide an overview of recording attendance and absence in the register using the codes that will be mandatory from August 2024, in the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024. 

• 4 June 3.30pm – 4.30pm  National Framework for Penalty Notices overview

This webinar will provide an overview of the new national framework for penalty notices for schools and other stakeholders (e.g. early help staff) which applies from August 2024. It will summarise the new national threshold for considering a penalty notice, the escalation for repeat offences and the use of the 'notice to improve' where support is appropriate.

• 10 June 3.30pm – 4.30pm  School admission register - Deletion from the school roll

This webinar will provide an overview of when a pupils name can be deleted from the admission register, highlighting changes made by the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024.

• 25 June 3.30pm – 4.30pm  Data Returns - sharing attendance information with local authorities and others

This webinar will outline what information from school registers must be shared with local authorities and how the daily attendance data tool can support this.

•  2 July 3.30pm– 4.30pm -Holding effective targeted support meetings between schools and LA

This webinar will explore what makes an effective Targeting Support Meeting (TSM) between the school and LA. It will cover the expectations on TSMs; aims of the meetings; collaborative working; use of data; and action planning for persistently absent and severely absent pupils.