Included, Engaged and Involved Part 1: Improving Attendance in Scotland's Schools

Data recording and management

The most purposeful use of data is to inform whole school developments to improve attendance and plan to meet individual children and young people’s needs.

While approaches to recording and monitoring attendance may currently vary across Scotland, it is essential that schools and education authorities promote a consistent approach to these arrangements within their individual areas and settings. This includes ensuring accurate coding of attendance and absence.

Robust arrangements for recording and monitoring attendance and absence can enable schools to:

• identify trends and patterns, using regular analysis to highlight emerging issues
• improve children and young people’s outcomes by using data to support increased engagement, attainment and achievement
• support early intervention and prevention by combining attendance data with other information to identify early signs of issues or risks and inform appropriate action, as part of a staged intervention model
• monitor data at class and whole-school levels
• foster a positive school ethos, by promoting a shared understanding of the importance of attendance and facilitating constructive dialogue with children and young people and families

Education Scotland have developed resources to support schools to use data effectively to improve attendance.

The scotXed data specification provides information on recording and coding attendance and absence in line with SEEMIS guidance.