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

Understanding Attendance

Attendance

Attendance is defined as pupil participation in a programme of educational activities which has been arranged and agreed by the school. This includes:

• attending school
• undertaking in-person learning that is provided outwith the school, by a college or other learning provider, while still on the roll of the school, as part of a flexible arrangement or adapted timetable
• taking part in educational visits, or day and residential visits to outdoor centres
• going to interviews and visits relating to further and higher education or careers events
• taking part in debates, sports, music, dance or drama activities that have been organised in conjunction with the school
• being on study leave when participating in national exams, if arranged by the school during the period of the national examination timetable
• receiving tuition via hospital or outreach teaching services
• taking part in work experience

Participation in debates, sports, music, dance or drama activities may be recorded as either attendance or an authorised absence, depending on the nature of the activity. In most circumstances, if the activity takes place within the school day, is organised by, or in partnership with the school and directly supports the curriculum, it should be recorded as attendance. Other non-school related debates, sports, music, dance or drama activities should be recorded as an authorised absence.

Schools should seek to ensure that children and young people are in attendance for the recommended number of hours within their education authority (usually 25 hours in primary schools and 27.5 hours for secondary schools).^[9] The recommended hours can include any of the educational activities set out above. Further information is provided in the section on personalised approaches to support attendance and engagement.

Engagement

Children and young people’s engagement with their learning is just as vital as attendance. Engagement is defined as children and young people directing their attention and energy towards a particular task or activity. In the classroom, the term ‘engagement’ is often used to refer to the extent of children and young people’s active involvement in a learning task.^[10]

It is important to recognise that while children and young people may be physically present in school, they can be disengaged from their learning. Therefore, both attendance and engagement are essential for children and young people to make progress in their learning and achieve positive outcomes.

In addition to being a fundamental aspect of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), active participation and engagement supports children and young people to feel safe, included, and connected to their school community, strengthening relationships and enhancing the quality of teaching and support. It can also contribute to a positive school ethos and a shared sense of community, where children and young people feel valued, trusted, and respected. Active participation also supports children and young people to develop important social and emotional skills as well as life skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, and citizenship, and can lead to greater empowerment, commitment to education, and improved attainment and achievement. Further information can be found at: An introduction to engagement in educational settings.

Teachers regularly reflect on children and young people’s participation as part of the assessment process, and their professional judgement plays a key role in shaping inclusive and engaging experiences for children and young people. In addition, the self-evaluation framework, How good is our school? (HGIOS4) can help schools to evaluate their approach to effective participation, supporting schools to develop a culture and ethos that is underpinned by approaches which ensure children’s rights.