Techniques to raise attendance and reduce truancy
When this school was put into Special Measures, it developed a range of strategies to increase attendance levels. The original ideas led them out of Special Measures just under two years later.
- Organisation Name:
- Falmer High Secondary School
- Region:
- South East
- Topic:
- Truancy
- Type of Organisation:
- Secondary school
- Budget:
- None
Brief description of the project
In January 1998, Falmer High School was placed in Special Measures, due in part to poor attendance levels and truancy. The school implemented a number of strategies to promote attendance and reduce truancy, focusing predominantly on 100% attendance.
These included:
- Displaying weekly attendance charts in the tutor room. These place tutor groups in rank order, creating a spirit of competitiveness.
- Displaying daily attendance print-outs outside the main administrative offices, highlighting attendance percentages by year group.
- Arranging a Quiz game each Friday during morning registration, in which students answered a question such as ‘Guess the combined weight of the Senior Management Team’. Examples of prizes include a £5 WH Smith voucher.
- Termly prize draw for all pupils with a 100% attendance. Prizes have included a weekend family leisure pass to the David Lloyd Leisure Centre and a hot air balloon.
- Ride across East Sussex. Funding for prizes come from business sponsorship (BT, Brighton and Hove Albion) and through conference and examining fees received by the school.
- Installation of an electronic attendance registration system (Bromcom).
- The use of the Internet and the launching of the school site supported this initiative www.mychildatschool.com
- Appointment of an attendance manager to deal with all attendance issues, including analysis of data available from the electronic registration system.
- Installation of a dedicated “attendance” telephone line specifically for parents to inform school of absences.
Outcomes of the project
A combination of rewards, co-operation and competitiveness led Falmer High School to achieve good progress and be removed from Special Measures in October 2000.