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

Promoting and supporting good attendance

All public schools, with support from the education authority and the Scottish Government, have a responsibility to promote and support good attendance. Achieving this is a multifaceted task that requires public schools to consider how their culture, systems, and practice work together to effectively support children and young people to attend regularly and engage fully in their learning.

Approaches to supporting attendance should be underpinned by positive relationships and clear communication between children and young people, parents and staff. Every member of school staff has a key role in promoting good attendance by working closely with children and young people and families to support good learning, teaching and assessment. Pastoral care staff have a central role in co-ordinating efforts to promote and support good attendance and respond to absence. It is important that they are given the time and resources to carry out this role effectively, in collaboration with other staff and services.

Schools should work collaboratively with children and young people, families, and staff to identify and address barriers to learning, and engage with community partners where appropriate, to ensure that children and young people and their families are fully supported. Successful implementation will require strong multi-agency collaboration and the effective use of available resources.

Culture

• clear leadership
• equity and inclusion
• safety and belonging
• compassionate flexible relationships
• engagement and support for families
• cross-sector working
• universal and targeted support

Systems

• effective use of data
• rigorous tracking and monitoring
• history and trends
• spectrum of support
• effective partnerships
• whole-school approaches
• consistent implementation
• appropriate resourcing

Practice

• long-term view
• embed values and culture
• GIRFEC
• reflecting views of learners
• curriculum flexibility
• low income supports
• social and emotional support
• targeting underlying causes
• environment
• activating motivation

Policies and procedures

Education authorities should have clear policies and procedures on supporting attendance and managing absence that reflect the key messages of this guidance at an authority and school level. While there may be variation in local processes and systems across the education authority, ensuring clear and consistent attendance and absence policies and procedures across schools, that have been co-produced by children and young people, parents and staff, helps set shared expectations for children, young people and parents, and supports a coherent approach.

Education authorities should support all public schools to design and implement a policy that promotes good attendance and outlines procedures to support the recording and management of absence. It is vital that this is underpinned by robust safeguarding and child protection procedures, in line with National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland, recognising good school attendance as a key protective factor for children and young people.

• schools should develop their attendance and absence policies in collaboration with children and young people, parents, staff and partners
• policies should reflect a multi-agency approach to supporting attendance and engagement, in line with GIRFEC principles, emphasising collaborative working with health, social work, and other relevant partners, such as youth work, to meet the needs of children and young people
• it is essential that the policy promotes early intervention and prevention, through the establishment of a clear staged intervention model delivered in partnership with relevant agencies, to support schools to identify and respond to emerging issues in a timely and appropriate way
• development of policies can be supported by Education Scotland’s guidance on the development of plans and policies to support attendance and engagement
• policies should reflect advice from Public Health Scotland on health protection in children and young people settings
• regular reviews of policies and procedures with all key stakeholders, including teachers and staff, should be undertaken to reaffirm expectations and ensure that local policies are updated in line with any new national guidance and to take account of any local issues which may impact attendance
• schools should regularly evaluate the effectiveness of any approaches to supporting attendance. This may include using self-reflection questions for promoting attendance and the Improvement Methodology supported by the Children and Young Peoples Improvement Collaborative. It could also involve working with other schools in locality groupings within the education authority or wider area to share and develop effective practice around the promotion of good attendance. Self-evaluation through How Good is Our School? (HGIOS 4) can help schools to identify how effective their approaches to school improvement are across the range of quality indicators

Promoting attendance within a positive whole school ethos and culture

It is vital that school attendance is understood as part of a whole school culture that promotes and supports positive relationships, behaviour and the wellbeing of children and young people and the wider school community.

This culture should be underpinned by a shared understanding of children’s rights and wellbeing with a strong emphasis on positive relationships across the whole school community. Guidance on developing a whole-school culture and ethos that promotes positive relationships and behaviour can also be found in the Scottish Government’s guidance on Fostering a positive, inclusive and safe school environment and includes:

• a rights-based approach which embeds the articles of the UNCRC enhances wellbeing and encourages active participation in learning. It enables children and young people to be included, engaged and involved in their school and community, and therefore more likely to be motivated to attend. Education Scotland has developed a children’s rights self-evaluation toolkit to support practitioners’ knowledge, understanding and use of the UNCRC
• a whole-school approach to promoting social and emotional wellbeing and mental health. Schools can consider a range of strategies to support relationships, behaviour, and attendance. These include relationship based whole school approaches such as solution-oriented approaches, restorative approaches and rights-based learning. Nurturing, attachment-based, and trauma-informed approaches can also enhance the overall ethos and culture of a school and support children and young people to feel more connected and engaged, supporting their attendance and improving their outcomes
• an approach that embeds equality and inclusion, supports inclusive practice and encourages effective collaboration between school staff, parents, partner services and other agencies. This could be supported by resources such as the CIRCLE framework
• having in place robust relationships and behaviour policies on key areas which may be impacting on young people’s attendance, including anti-bullying policies and procedures, racism and racist incidents, gender based violence and risk assessments for violent, aggressive and dangerous behaviour
• having an inclusive and equitable uniform and clothing policy which recognises and responds to children and young people’s diverse needs, minimises costs for families, and supports improved attendance and participation

Working in partnership with parents to promote attendance

Collaborative working with parents is essential to supporting good attendance and should be embedded within an inclusive and welcoming school culture. As key partners in their child’s education, parents should be empowered and supported to engage meaningfully in their child’s learning and the wider life of the school.

Establishing and maintaining positive, trusting relationships with parents plays a key role in promoting school attendance:

• it helps parents understand their legal duties^[21] in relation to school attendance, including expectations around processes for notifying absences
• it provides opportunities for reinforcing messages about the value of regular school attendance
• it helps identify barriers to learning or attendance and enable schools to work collaboratively with families to meet the needs of children and young people effectively
• it can support schools to have sensitive or detailed conversations when attendance becomes a concern. Further guidance on this is provided in the responding to absence section of this guidance

Positive relationships in education often begin in the early years, through informal, interactions at drop-off and pick-up times and other in-person contact. These early opportunities can lay the foundations for long-term relationships built on trust and mutual respect and can continue throughout a child or young person’s school career. Such relationships can be especially important during transition periods. Clear arrangements for transitions at all stages, should begin as early as possible and actively involve children and young people, parents, school staff and relevant support services.

The home/school relationship is just as important in the secondary context. Schools should continue to promote positive relationships by ensuring clear channels of communication with parents and being responsive to their needs. Education Scotland has guidance and case studies on supporting communication with parents.

To support parents, schools should provide the following information, in a format that can be easily accessed, such as in the school handbook,^[22] on its website or newsletter or in other communication with parents.

• clear, up-to-date information to parents about their responsibility to notify the school as soon as possible if their child is going to be absent and to keep emergency contact details current
• practical information to parents about the procedure for reporting their child’s absence, with appropriate arrangements in place to receive communications from parents outwith school opening hours
• information about who parents can contact if they are concerned about their child’s attendance

Raising the profile of attendance

In addition to co-producing policies and procedures with children and young people, parents and staff, schools and education authorities can encourage good attendance by actively raising awareness of attendance, absence and its impacts. This can be achieved through clear messaging within the school community and by highlighting both attendance expectations and the support available to meet these in key documents, such as the school handbook and other communications. This should be considered sensitively to avoid creating barriers to engagement or negatively affecting relationships between children and young people, parents and the school.

Education authorities should promote good attendance across the authority area. Key figures such as elected members, senior managers from the education authority and community groups should seek opportunities to raise the profile and the benefits of good attendance. Promoting good attendance and recognising improvements can also help to convey positive messages about young people to the wider community.

Education authorities should use relevant attendance data to help them to identify where further support or resources may be needed. This can enable constructive, collegiate dialogue with schools to understand their unique contexts and challenges and support collaborative work to develop tailored, supportive measures that promote attendance and meet the needs of their children and young people. This should be handled sensitively and have a clear focus on improving outcomes for children and young people.

Setting clear thresholds and expectations

Schools should have a clear vision and strategic plan to promote and manage attendance. This should include identified personnel and systems to support the tracking and monitoring of attendance. This will include Pastoral Care staff who have a key responsibility to work with children and young people, parents and staff to promote good attendance at school. This approach will serve different functions, including setting clear attendance targets and defining thresholds for intervention.

Setting realistic and specific attendance targets

While some schools may use incentive schemes to promote good attendance and achieve the targets they have set, such approaches should be considered with caution. Poor attendance is often due to factors beyond a child or young person’s control. Using incentive schemes, whether by rewarding good attendance or by restricting access to certain activities, events or trips, can be demotivating or cause further distress to children and young people. This can disproportionately impact those who face complex challenges to attendance, including young carers and children and young people with prolonged ill health, or a disability. It may also risk undermining positive relationships, increase disengagement and prolong absence.

Schools should consider their approach sensitively and engage regularly with children, young people, parents and staff to consider inclusive strategies that foster engagement and support attendance. Schools must also consider their duties under the Equality Act 2010, to prevent unlawful discrimination in their schools based on protected characteristics. As an alternative, schools may wish to consider approaches that celebrate children and young people’s engagement and achievements to promote inclusion and wellbeing.

Setting thresholds for intervention

As part of a staged intervention approach, education authorities and schools may choose to set thresholds to determine at what level intervention to support attendance should take place. This is likely to vary across education authorities as it will be linked to their particular context and the data they use.

However, schools should also consider individual risk and resilience factors, such as safeguarding concerns, additional support needs, disability, family circumstances, or patterns of disengagement, which may indicate that intervention is required even before attendance falls below the set threshold. When concerns arise, schools should follow a clear process to inform parents, and work with relevant multi-agency partners to ensure appropriate follow up action is taken and where necessary, support is put in place. Implementing this approach may require careful co-ordination and the effective use of available resources. Education Scotland has developed a toolkit to support children and young people’s attendance and engagement, supporting identification of risk and resilience factors and ensuring children and young people’s views are at the centre. Further information can also be found at the section on data recording and management.

Building relationships with children and young people

Schools should seek to maximise opportunities for staff to get to know children and young people well. Where schools have a registration period in the morning, in addition to recording attendance and absence, this time offers staff an opportunity to build relationships with children and young people and may help identify any concerns about their health and wellbeing. ‘Tutor group’ time in secondary school can also support staff to develop strong, long-term relationships with children and young people which may help to identify and address emerging issues at an early stage. Schools should regularly engage with staff to review tutor periods to ensure they are effective and support the health and wellbeing of children and young people.^[23]

Persistent lateness, lack of preparedness and distracted or distressed behaviour that is observed during registration and lessons may be an indication that the child or young person is experiencing difficulties that may have an impact on their attendance. Where this is noticed, engaging with the child or young person to understand their perspective is essential. If necessary, information should be shared with other staff as appropriate to determine whether support should be provided.

In the case of Care-experienced children and young people and young carers, the designated senior manager within the school should be made aware as early as possible of any matters which may impact on attendance. They should work with children and young people, parents and partners to identify and provide appropriate support.

Supporting staff to promote good attendance

Schools have a key role to play in promoting good attendance and helping to reduce children and young people’s absence. Where teachers and school staff elect to do so, they should be supported to access relevant professional learning and resources to enable them to respond confidently and appropriately.

Professional learning for all staff on promoting a positive culture, trusting relationships, parental engagement, and learner participation can help schools develop inclusive practices that support good attendance. This includes Education Scotland’s self-evaluation toolkit on children’s rights.

Professional development focused on systems and processes for monitoring and improving attendance can also be valuable. There should also be a focus on understanding the underlying causes of absence, including issues related to inclusion, equality and poverty. This may be especially beneficial for staff working directly in this area, such as pastoral care staff, home-school link workers and family support workers.

Resources to support staff are included in the signposting and resources section of this guidance.

Strategies to support attendance and engagement

Schools should consider a range of universal and targeted strategies to support attendance and engagement. When embedded within a whole-school approach, these strategies can help create an environment that promotes regular attendance, reduces barriers, and supports the wellbeing and success of all children and young people.

Individual schools are best placed to decide the approaches that work best in their specific context. Schools should ensure that their approach to supporting children and young people aligns with GIRFEC and broader strategies to support the mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing of children and young people. Working collaboratively with children, young people, parents, staff and partner agencies is key to understanding the barriers and identifying effective, tailored solutions. Many schools have implemented a variety of measures to improve attendance, combining bespoke and universal measures to support children and young people’s attendance and engagement.

Some examples of different approaches are included below for schools to consider:

• breakfast clubs to help improve punctuality, encourage positive routines, and ensure children and young people are ready to learn
• adapted timetables to support flexible, positive learning experiences and support engagement
• soft starts where children and young people can begin the school day earlier or later to avoid busy transition periods and reduce their anxiety
• support for families, recognising that improving attendance often requires support to address wider home or community factors
• considering whether aspects of the physical environment, such as bell volume, lighting, noise levels, and access to open spaces, could be adjusted to reduce anxiety and help children and young people feel more comfortable
• considering how to maximise healthy school environments, in line with Public Health Scotland guidance, including measures such as improving ventilation and promoting good hygiene practices
• creating dedicated roles or teams, such as pupil support staff or family workers to provide consistent and targeted support
• adapting the school environment to meet the needs of children and young people. For example, by providing calming tools such as fidget toys, offering discreet exit strategies from class or early transitions to avoid crowded corridors
• providing safe spaces to provide children and young people with access to quiet and calm areas within the school where they can feel safe and supported^[24]
• offering peer support by pairing children and young people with a buddy or mentor to help them navigate the school day
• referral to school counselling service, a universal service, available to secondary school pupils and primary and special school pupils aged 10 and over who attend a school managed by an education authority
• regular review of the curriculum offer including extracurricular activities, informed by ongoing assessment of need, available resource and in partnership with children and young people, to ensure a range of appropriate and engaging options
• maintaining regular communication with children and young people and parents to identify and address emerging concerns early
• supportive conversations to enable open dialogue with children and young people and parents to understand challenges and co-design solutions
• family-centred planning to ensure the views and needs of the child and their parents are central to all decisions and support plans
• working in partnership with external organisations and services to identify and provide support
• considering ideas for catching up on lost learning due to absence, in partnership with children and young people, parents and staff

Education Scotland has developed resources on effective strategies to improve attendance and engagement.

Approaches co-produced with children and young people, parents and staff, regularly reviewed to assess their effectiveness, and prioritised by senior leaders who embedded attendance improvement within the school’s wider culture and strategic planning have been particularly impactful in improving attendance.

Personalised approaches to support attendance and engagement

Strategies to support attendance and engagement should be rooted in an inclusive approach that recognises and responds to the individual needs and circumstances of children and young people, ensuring that they are present, participating, supported and achieving in education.

Personalised approaches can be particularly beneficial for children and young people who are facing complex challenges in accessing full-time education. Schools can help address these barriers by providing appropriate support and designing bespoke strategies within an established staged intervention model, aligned with GIRFEC and Additional Support for Learning frameworks.

There are a number of ways through which schools can adopt a personalised approach to supporting attendance and engagement. These are set out in the sections below.

Inclusion

• Present
• Participating
• Achieving
• Supported

A flexible curriculum

Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) is founded on local flexibility and the professional judgement of teachers, promoting an engaging school curriculum which is vital to support children and young people’s attendance, engagement and achievement.

The flexibility within Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) enables schools to:

• personalise learning by designing bespoke pathways that reflect individual needs, interests, and aspirations
• remove barriers by tailoring learning to meet the needs of all children and young people. This could include accessing some learning in a nurture base within the school, or through a bespoke curriculum organised by the school’s senior management and in some instances, for Care-experienced children and young people, supported by a virtual school headteacher or equivalent
• promote inclusion by recognising and responding to children and young people’s diverse circumstances and create an environment where all children and young people feel supported and can achieve
• empower professional judgement, supporting teachers to make decisions that enrich learning and improve outcomes for children and young people

Children and young people should be supported to participate fully in their learning and in the wider life of the school. Education Scotland’s resource on learner participation in educational settings provides information on ways to support participation and engagement in learning and teaching and across other aspects of school life.

In the Senior Phase, schools can continue to support children and young people’s attendance and engagement by ensuring they offer appropriate course choices and progression pathways that meet the needs and aspirations of all children and young people. This can include a range of options, such as National Qualifications, wider achievement programmes and access to apprenticeships and opportunities for vocational learning and volunteering as part of a bespoke and flexible approach. Timetables for Senior Phase children and young people often include dedicated study periods, which should be structured to support independent learning and effective use of time.

It is essential that the views of children, young people, parents and school staff are central to decisions about this approach, helping to ensure that the programme agreed supports participation and engagement. Further information is available from Developing the Young Workforce.

Positive approaches to flexible arrangements and adapted timetables

Not all learning takes place in a school building, and some children and young people may have special arrangements to attend school for only part of the week. While such special arrangements are sometimes referred to as ‘part-time timetables’ this term can cover a variety of different approaches. The following sections provide guidance on flexible arrangements and reduced learning hours. A table capturing information related to both of these approaches is set out in Appendix 3.

This guidance does not apply to “flexi-schooling”, where a child attends school for some of the time, for example, on certain days or for certain subjects, and is educated elsewhere the remainder of the time. This is distinct from home education, where a parent assumes full responsibility for the education of their child. Flexi-schooling does not have any basis in Scottish education law but is a separate arrangement entered into between an education authority and a parent.

As defined earlier in this guidance, attendance can encompass a range of educational activities that are arranged and agreed by the school. These activities may take place within the school or in another setting, and together they comprise a child or young person’s full-time education.

As part of a personalised approach, schools regularly combine classroom-based learning with other in-person activities to create tailored and engaging programmes of full-time education. This can include bespoke approaches that enhance engagement and support individual needs, as well as Senior Phase flexibility, which offers children and young people access to a broad range of opportunities and progression pathways. This ensures that each child’s education is directed to the development of their personality, talents, and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential.^[25] By providing bespoke learning opportunities, schools can promote attendance, engagement, and achievement, supporting more positive outcomes for children and young people.

Examples of flexible arrangements or adaptations could include:

• learning across different settings, such as a child or young person attending a school for most of their full-time education while accessing some in-person learning from another school, an alternative provision or a third-sector learning provider
• an agreed split placement, for example, a child or young person attending a special school for most of their full-time education and accessing part of their learning in a mainstream school
• flexible pathways for Senior Phase children and young people who are accessing full-time education by combining school attendance with attendance at college, another learning provider, or through vocational learning opportunities, such as work placements or training

Below are some examples of flexible approaches in practice.

Edinburgh City Council

Across Edinburgh schools, there is a strong emphasis on partnership working and sustained engagement with children, young people and their families to develop tailored interventions that support those facing significant barriers to education. This approach incorporates:

• schools, through a coordinated approach led by Attendance Leads, are supporting multi-agency collaboration, for example working alongside the Education Wellbeing Service, community organisations and CAMHS to design tailored approaches to support interventions that are responsive to changing needs.
• ongoing engagement with children, young people and families to ensure their voices are central to planning and decision making.
• creative and individualised solutions to enable flexible learning pathways, including flexible timetables, alternative timetables, targeted support within nurture bases, and bespoke vocational pathways.
• holistic, needs-led support through specialist referrals and targeted interventions to address emotional and wellbeing needs, alongside academic progress.

Impact:

This collaborative approach has supported a number of individual children and young people facing significant attendance challenges to re-engage with education. Through adapting timetables, targeted interventions, vocational provision, and the development of trusted relationships with key adults, schools and partners have supported learners to rebuild confidence and reconnect with education. As a result of addressing barriers, children and young people have experienced strengthened engagement and improved attendance, and progression towards positive post-school destinations.

Stirling Council

Outreach teaching program Post-COVID-19 attendance data highlighted a cohort of young people who were facing barriers to returning to full-time education. Existing funding was streamlined to establish the Outreach Teaching program. This provides short-term, targeted one-to-one and small group teaching support to improve engagement, attendance, and attainment. Key interventions were:

• secondary support: delivered over 180 one-to-one sessions and 20+ online lessons across 7 secondary schools
• primary support: twice-weekly sessions focusing on literacy and numeracy targets for 29 learners
• transition support: intensive sessions for P7 pupils with experience of care to build confidence and relationships before moving to high school
• senior phase: regular one-to-one sessions for S4–S6 pupils to gain SQA qualifications, prepare CVs, and transition to college or employment

Reported impact for children and young people involved in the program during the academic session:

• attendance: 92% of secondary pupils saw an improved attendance rate, with an average increase of 24%
• academic success: secondary pupils achieved 76 SQA Unit awards and approximately 30 full Course Awards
• primary progress: standardised assessments showed improvement for almost all learners; for example, one pupil increased their reading accuracy by 1.5 years and comprehension by 2 years
• positive destinations: 100% of supported pupils were signposted to partnership agencies and moved into positive destinations

Engaging Learners Service

Following the successful interventions delivered through the Outreach Programme, the Engaging Learners Service (ELS) was piloted to provide a more robust multi-agency response for pupils facing significant barriers to attendance and engagement in education. As part of the seven-month pilot, the service delivered a range of activity:

• scale: supported 74 young people across all secondary and six primary schools
• data-driven: 47 schools were supported by analysed attendance data to target specific support needs
• holistic approach: offered over 20 group sessions including First Aid training, outdoor education, and personal finance
• professional learning: delivered 6+ Career Long Professional Learning sessions to help school staff understand and address attendance barriers

Impact:

• attendance growth: children and young people working with ELS saw an average attendance increase of 14.7%
• stakeholder satisfaction: 100% of surveyed pupils and parents/carers agreed that the service was helpful
• re-engagement: all participating young people agreed that the program helped them re-engage with school and supported their overall wellbeing
• as a result of the positive outcomes achieved by the pilot, the programme has been extended for a further academic session

West Lothian Council

INSPIRE Pathways

The INSPIRE pathways (Individualised, Nurturing, Supportive Pathways Influencing Real-world Employability) is a targeted intervention designed to re-engage disengaged pupils at Continuum of Support Level 3, who are at risk of their provision breaking down. Grounded in evidence and partnership working, INSPIRE combines education, industry, community and therapeutic inputs with the aim of:

• rebuilding positive relationships between pupils, families and school staff and restoring trust and engagement with learning
• providing a structured, nurturing, flexible pathway back to fulltime mainstream education
• supporting progression to positive destinations
• capturing and evidencing progress through qualifications and measurable outcomes
• raising awareness and re-focusing what learning looks like for individuals and adding value to individual experiences

Actions taken

• individualised, flexible pathways are developed for each pupil drawing from four quadrants: education, industry, community and therapeutic input. These combine to make a 100% provision for the learner
• development of a collaborative referral system and identification of target pupils through the region’s Inclusion Support Service and school leadership staff
• baseline assessment across attendance, attainment, wellbeing surveys, pupil voice and parent perspectives prior to placement
• weekly delivery model with continuous monitoring and responsive adjustments. A timetable tracker was developed to calculate percentage engagement across the four INSPIRE quadrants

Impact

• reestablished school attendance: pupils move from parttime provision toward sustained, increased timetables
• improved relationships: pupils report greater trust in adults; schools record fewer behaviour incidents and smoother reintegration
• enhanced wellbeing: wellbeing surveys and pupil voice indicate improved emotional regulation and selfefficacy
• attainment and progression: measurable gains in accredited units, skills development and clearer routes to positive destinations
• community and family engagement: stronger familyschool communication, increased parental confidence in school pathways
• System impact: capacity building across schools through shared practice, stronger partnership working and more effective early intervention

Key success factors

• early identification and targeted selection of pupils at Continuum Level 3
• strong multi‑agency partnerships (schools, Inclusion Support, therapeutic services, industry, community organisations)
• individualised, flexible pathways co‑designed with pupils and families
• continuous data collection with rapid feedback loops and responsive adaptation
• clear communication and celebration of achievement between programme staff, schools and families

Flexible arrangements or adaptations should be reviewed regularly as part of on-going Child’s Planning processes. Reviews should:

• be undertaken in consultation with children and young people, parents and staff to ensure the arrangements continue to meet the needs of individual children and young people
• include all relevant multi-agency partners, in line with established GIRFEC procedures
• consider the child or young person’s age, stage, ability and relevant risk and resilience factors, in addition to the statutory responsibilities, including safeguarding responsibilities, placed on schools and education authorities

Schools should determine the frequency of reviewing these arrangements, including for pupils in the Senior Phase, taking account of the child or young person’s individual needs and circumstances, ensuring that arrangements continue to reflect their aspirations and potential and support their academic, social, emotional, and vocational development.

If the flexible arrangement accounts for less than the recommended number of learning hours, this is considered reduced learning hours.

Monitoring children and young people’s attendance at another provision

Where a child or young person is attending any setting outside of their enrolled school as part of a flexible arrangement, the school must ensure that there is a mechanism in place to monitor attendance and engagement in that alternative setting.

• procedures should be developed in consultation with children and young people, parents and staff in both settings, ensuring that families are aware of the expectations and processes for reporting and managing absence
• responsibilities for managing and responding to absence, should be agreed in advance with all external settings or services to ensure that all absences are recorded and followed up, either by the school or partner provider. Such coordination is essential for the prompt identification and response to any safeguarding concerns
• attendance and absence should be recorded on SEEMiS for each registered child or young person
• agreed absence management procedures should be followed by the alternative setting when a child or young person is absent from an arranged alternative provision

If attendance concerns are raised for a child or young person accessing their education through an alternative arrangement, then this element should be reviewed. Consideration should be given to whether different or additional support is required or whether the current arrangement continues to meet their needs. For children and young people in the Senior Phase, there may be occasions where an alternative arrangement does not work as planned. In these circumstances, children and young people should be supported to access a suitable alternative option.

Part-time timetables involving reduced learning hours

For the purpose of this guidance reduced learning hours^[26] refers to education which is less than the recommended learning hours^[27] and includes:

• part of the school day during which a child or young person is not attending any mainstream or alternative arrangement organised by the education authority and
• is not engaged in alternative activities, considered to be attendance that have been arranged and agreed by the education authority

All children and young people are entitled to a full-time education. As set out above, some children and young people may experience complex challenges in accessing this entitlement which schools can help to address through a range of approaches, such as curriculum flexibility and adapted timetables.

Where these strategies do not successfully enable a child or young person to engage in full-time education, or where the child or young person is returning to education following a long period of absence, additional reasonable measures may be required to support a child or young person’s attendance, engagement and achievement. In exceptional circumstances, a temporary reduction in learning hours may be considered as a short-term, supportive measure, within a wider package of tailored support, designed to meet the child or young person’s individual needs.

A reduction in learning hours should always be for the shortest time possible, as a carefully planned intervention that prioritises the views, wellbeing and rights of the child or young person. It should:

• be informed by the views of children and young people and have the full agreement of their parents
• be considered in exceptional circumstances where there is clear and robust evidence to demonstrate that all options to retain full learning hours, including through flexible arrangements or other strategies, have been considered and evaluated
• be informed by a robust, multi-agency assessment of need, aligned to established child planning processes
• be underpinned by a comprehensive risk assessment that evaluates the child or young person’s safety, learning and wellbeing needs, the potential impact on their family, and safeguarding considerations
• be time-limited and in place for the shortest period possible
• have a clear purpose, with appropriate educational and wellbeing objectives clearly stated that are aligned to the curriculum and the wellbeing indicators^[28] and take account of vulnerability and risk as part of a GIRFEC approach
• closely monitored and reviewed regularly as part of on-going planning and assessment
• developed and implemented in collaboration with children and young people, parents, staff and partners

Fewer learning hours, regardless of the reason, has an impact on educational outcomes.^[29] Therefore, it is expected that a reduction in learning hours is only considered as a reasonable measure in exceptional circumstances and where there is clear evidence that it is a necessary, proportionate and supportive intervention.

Decisions about a reduction in learning hours should be taken based solely on the individual needs of the child or young person, supported by an appropriate assessment of risk and needs. While implementing these decisions may require time to put further resources or staffing in place, decision making should not be centred on factors, such as resource limitations or staffing constraints. Examples of exceptional circumstances could include when a child or young person:

• is unable to engage with full-time learning due to health or wellbeing concerns
• has a period of long-term non-attendance, and a short-term reduction in learning hours will support their transition back to school as part of a Child’s Plan, educational support or wellbeing plan
• has experienced significant periods of interrupted learning and/or is significantly disengaged, resulting in a substantial impact on their learning, and other options to support their attendance have been exhausted
• has behaviours that have necessitated a risk assessment and reduced learning hours is considered an appropriate mitigation^[30] of the risk, as part of a Child’s Plan
• is returning to school following a period of exclusion, and as part of an agreed package of support, a reduction in learning hours is considered a short-term necessary measure to support their return to school^[31]

Careful consideration is necessary when considering a reduction in learning hours for Care-experienced children and young people and those with additional support needs. It is essential that decisions are informed by a multi-agency needs assessment, involving all those supporting the child or young person to evaluate the appropriateness of the approach and the potential risk of exacerbating existing vulnerabilities.^[32] This assessment should apply the principles of contextual safeguarding, ensuring that risks within the wider community and peer networks are assessed and mitigated as part of the decision-making.

For Care-experienced children and young people, reduced learning hours can have significant and unintended consequences. These could include a breakdown in placement that may further impact their school attendance, increased disengagement from education, or heightened emotional distress that undermines their stability and wellbeing. It is vital that the assessment considers the individual impact on the child and their family, including potential safeguarding concerns. A reduction in learning hours is not appropriate for children or young people who are on the Child Protection Register or otherwise considered at risk of significant harm including risk outwith the home and exploitation (criminal and sexual) etc.

The views of children and young people should be central to decisions about a plan involving a reduction in learning hours, with on-going, meaningful opportunities to express their views and contribute to shaping the proposed approach. The plan should be developed collaboratively with children and young people, parents, staff and other partners, aligned to the GIRFEC and Additional Support for Learning frameworks.

If disagreement arises, schools, education authorities and partners should seek to resolve concerns through constructive dialogue and work with children and young people and parents to explore alternative approaches or arrangements. External support, such as advocacy or mediation^[33] may help reach a resolution.

Education authorities are expected to develop their own local policy and guidance to support the appropriate use of reduced learning hours and offer appropriate support and guidance to school staff. Such policy and guidance should clearly identify the roles and responsibilities of senior staff within the education authority and public school, with regards to decisions about reduced hours and the approach to monitoring progress of affected children or young people. Policy and guidance should be developed in compliance with the legal duties placed on education authorities^[34] and within the context of the UNCRC and the GIRFEC principles and reflect the key considerations at Appendix 4. Development of this guidance should include engagement with school staff and relevant trade unions.

Continued support to increase learning hours

The overarching objective of a reduction in learning hours is to support a return to full-time education at the earliest appropriate opportunity. Therefore, the primary aim should always be to continue to explore options to return the child or young person to the learning hours and a learning environment similar to that of their peer group or make alternative arrangements that optimise their educational outcomes and holistic wellbeing.

This approach will be firmly rooted in the principles of GIRFEC and the Additional Support for Learning framework. It should:

• emphasis a right-based, child-centred approach that ensures every child or young person’s wellbeing and learning needs are identified and provided for through co-ordinated planning and support
• support individualised planning, such as through a Child’s Plan, educational support or wellbeing plan, to identify, plan for, and review the support required to support children and young people to increase their learning hours
• be undertaken in partnership with children and young people, parents, staff and all relevant agencies, ensuring the voice of children and young people is central to decision making

It is vital that any consideration of reduced learning hours as part of individualised planning, includes a clear and structured plan with defined milestones to outline how the child or young person will be supported to increase their learning hours and return to full-time education. This may involve the use of personalised arrangements, alongside other supportive strategies and multi-agency support to improve attendance and engagement.

Recording and monitoring of reduced learning hours

Public schools must keep an attendance record for all their pupils. Education authorities should have robust systems in place to ensure appropriate and consistent recording and monitoring of children and young people who have reduced learning hours. This has several key functions.

At education authority level it:

• ensures accountability that the education authority is fulfilling its duties regarding safeguarding and the provision of education
• informs improvement priorities

At school^[35] level it:

• ensures that each child’s rights are being recognised, that they are receiving their educational entitlements, and that their educational outcomes are being maximised
• supports teacher professional judgement in identifying appropriate interventions to support children and young people’s learning and wellbeing
• informs improvement planning and allocation of resources
• supports identification of patterns of absence

Attendance codes for children and young people who are not in attendance due to reduced learning hours include:

• ‘26’ - Part-time timetable (health related, including wellbeing)
• ‘25’ - Part time timetable (exclusion related)^[36]

The ‘Custom tab’ in SEEMiS can also be used to record all information relevant to reduced learning hours.

As part of their policy guidance, education authorities should identify senior members of staff who have responsibility for supporting children and young people who are temporarily on reduced learning hours. This ensures that the approach remains appropriate, is time-limited, and aligns with the overall objective of supporting children and young people to increase their learning hours. Authorities should ensure that their data management and quality assurance approach is effective in supporting this.

Children and young people who are home educated

Parents have a legal duty to provide efficient and suitable education for their children of school age.^[37] Most do so by sending their child to a school managed by the education authority. Others may choose to send their child to an independent school or to a special school managed by an education authority (where appropriate), an independent school or a grant-aided school.

Some parents provide education at home. The Scottish Government’s Home education guidance outlines the roles and responsibilities of education authorities and parents in these circumstances, including when consent is required to withdraw a child from school and the process for doing so.

Education authorities should aim to issue a decision on consent to withdraw a child from the school roll for the purposes of home education within six weeks of the receipt of the original request. During this period, it is reasonable for schools to expect children and young people to continue attending school. Where concerns arise, these should be discussed with children and young people and parents to ensure that the pupil’s learning and wellbeing is supported.