Helping Schools Improve Attendance

Practical, Proven and Sustainable

Attendance remains one of the biggest challenges facing schools. Attendance Leader provides practical resources, evidence-informed strategies and professional support to help schools improve attendance and reduce persistent absence.

Why Attendance Leader?

Led by a Serving School Leader

Attendance Leader was founded by a serving Deputy Headteacher with responsibility for school improvement, attendance and quality of education. The resources shared here are drawn from practical experience of leading attendance strategy within a large secondary school and supporting families to overcome barriers to attendance.

This site exists to make high-quality attendance resources freely available to schools. Alongside downloadable materials, Attendance Leader provides practical guidance, professional insight and consultancy support focused on improving attendance, reducing persistent absence and strengthening school systems.

Free Resources for Attendance Leaders

Practical, ready-to-use resources for schools working to improve attendance, strengthen systems and support pupils and families more effectively.

Attendance Strategy and Systems

Templates, checklists and planning tools to support whole-school attendance strategy, intervention planning, escalation processes and persistent absence work.

Parent and Carer Resources

Downloadable leaflets, posters and guidance materials to help schools communicate clearly with families about attendance, barriers to school and practical support strategies.

Communication Templates

Model letters, emails and scripts to support clear, professional and supportive communication with parents, carers, pupils and external professionals.

Promoting Attendance in School

Assemblies, posters, campaign materials and recognition ideas to help schools build a positive attendance culture and keep attendance visible across the school.

Support for Schools

Alongside free resources, Attendance Leader offers practical support for schools seeking to strengthen their attendance systems, improve intervention and develop a sustainable whole-school approach.

Attendance Review and Analysis

A focused review of attendance data, systems, communication, intervention processes and leadership oversight. This can include analysis of attendance patterns, pupil groups, persistent absence, coding, intervention impact and key lines of enquiry to support school improvement and inspection readiness.

Strategy Development

Support to develop a clear attendance strategy focused on systems, culture, intervention, parental engagement and reducing persistent absence.

Staff Training

Practical training for attendance teams, pastoral leaders and school staff on improving attendance and responding effectively to barriers.

Latest Insights

  • What makes an effective attendance strategy? A practical look at the systems, routines and leadership behaviours that help schools move beyond headline attendance figures.

  • Supporting pupils with anxiety-related absence How schools can balance empathy, support and the importance of regular attendance when pupils are struggling to attend.

  • Using attendance data to target intervention How schools can use attendance patterns, pupil groups and coding trends to identify the pupils most in need of support.

Interested in support for your school?

Whether you are reviewing attendance systems, developing your strategy or looking for practical resources and training, Attendance Leader can support schools with clear, evidence-informed guidance.