Poor Attendance - Staged Intervention Process

When to use Stage 1

Stage 1 may be used where attendance is between 90% and 100% over a 10-school-week period, but the school has identified an emerging attendance concern or a pattern that requires support and monitoring.

Stage 1 is advisory and is not a compulsory gateway to Stage 2. The school does not need to complete Stage 1, or wait until a Stage 1 review date, where attendance concerns have escalated and Stage 2 is now the more appropriate response.

Move directly to Stage 2 where appropriate

A school may begin at Stage 2 where:

• attendance is already below 90%;
• attendance has deteriorated rapidly;
• the level or pattern of absence is already a significant concern;
• previous support has not secured improvement; or
• a more structured programme of support and formal attendance intervention is required.

1. Identify the concern

• Review the pupil's attendance, punctuality and pattern of absence.
• Consider whether there are emerging patterns, repeated absences or particular days or sessions of concern.
• Check that attendance and absence codes are accurate.
• Complete first-day contact and follow up unexplained absence promptly.

2. Contact the family and understand the reasons

• Discuss the attendance concern with the pupil and parent.
• Listen to the family's explanation and identify barriers to attendance.
• Consider health, emotional wellbeing, special educational needs, transport, housing, family circumstances and safeguarding concerns.
• Check whether other professionals or services are already supporting the family.

3. Offer and record support

• Agree practical actions that address the identified barriers.
• Make appropriate referrals or coordinate with services already involved.
• Record what support has been offered, accepted, declined or attempted.
• Use clear, accessible language in letters, plans and meetings.

4. Agree a plan and review date

• Set a clear attendance target.
• Record the actions agreed by the school, parent and pupil.
• Set a proportionate monitoring period and review date.
• Explain what may happen if attendance does not improve.

5. Monitor attendance and review the impact

• Review attendance throughout the monitoring period.
• Do not wait until the planned review date if attendance deteriorates or concerns increase.
• Record changes in attendance, family engagement and the impact of support.
• Choose the next step that reflects the current concern.

At review: choose the correct next step

The next step depends on the pupil's attendance, the pattern and reasons for absence, the family's engagement and the impact of the support offered.

• Attendance has improved: continue monitoring, maintain any support that is still required and consider stepping the intervention down.
• The Penalty Notice criteria are met: consider the appropriate Penalty Notice route. Follow Bradford's separate Penalty Notice guidance and submit any request through the Penalty Notice Portal.
• Poor attendance continues or concerns escalate: move to Stage 2. The school does not need to complete the original Stage 1 plan or wait until the Stage 1 review date before doing so.

Considering a Penalty Notice?

A Penalty Notice may be appropriate where the relevant national threshold and Bradford's local criteria are met. This is a separate route from progression to Stage 2.

Read the Penalty Notice guidance and choose the correct route

Stage 2 criteria: attendance is below 90% over a 10-school-week period, or the attendance concern otherwise requires a structured programme of support and formal intervention.

Stage 1 does not have to be completed first

A school may begin at Stage 2 where the attendance concern is already significant or a structured programme of support and formal attendance intervention is required.

A school may also move from Stage 1 to Stage 2 at any point if attendance deteriorates, concerns escalate or the support required can no longer be managed appropriately through Stage 1.

Support must continue throughout Stage 2

The school must continue to understand and address the reasons for absence while completing the formal Stage 2 process.

Letters, meetings and attendance contracts do not replace assessment, support or appropriate referrals. Records should show both the support offered and the formal action taken.

Step 1: review the concern and begin Stage 2

• Review the pupil's attendance, absence codes and pattern of absence.
• Check that Stage 2 is proportionate to the current concern.
• Review existing assessments, plans, support and professional involvement.
• Identify any further support or referrals required.
• Open and maintain the Stage 2 Tracking Form.

Step 2: send Enforcement Letter 1

• Send the current Enforcement Letter 1 to the relevant parent or parents.
• Explain the attendance concern, the support available and the expectations for improvement.
• Continue welfare assessment, family contact and support.
• Record the date the letter was sent and retain a copy.

Step 3: review attendance and engagement

• Monitor attendance and punctuality.
• Review the family's engagement with support.
• Record the impact of the actions already taken.
• Update the Stage 2 Tracking Form.

Step 4: send Enforcement Letter 2 and invite the parent to an Attendance Panel Meeting

If attendance has not improved, send the current Enforcement Letter 2 and invite the relevant parent or parents to an Attendance Panel Meeting.

Enforcement Letter 2 and the meeting invitation should be sent within three weeks of Enforcement Letter 1.

• Give the parent clear details of the date, time, location and purpose of the meeting.
• Explain that the meeting will review the reasons for absence, support offered and action required.
• Make reasonable efforts to enable the parent to attend.
• Record all invitations, reminders and responses.

Step 5: hold or attempt the Attendance Panel Meeting

The meeting should:

• review the pupil's attendance and pattern of absence;
• seek the pupil's and parent's views;
• review barriers, needs and support already offered;
• identify any additional support or referrals required;
• set clear expectations and actions;
• explain the possible consequences of continued unauthorised absence; and
• agree an Attendance Contract and review date where appropriate.

Step 6: implement the Attendance Contract

• Use the current Bradford Attendance Contract without changing its standard wording.
• Record the actions expected from the pupil, parent, school and any supporting services.
• Set clear, measurable attendance expectations.
• Give the parent a copy.
• Set a three-week review period.

Step 7: review the Attendance Contract

• Review attendance across the contract period.
• Review whether agreed actions were completed.
• Record the parent's engagement and the impact of support.
• Record any new need, barrier or change in circumstances.
• Update the Stage 2 Tracking Form.

Step 8: complete a home visit where there is continued non-engagement

If the parent has not engaged with the Stage 2 process, complete a home visit or document an appropriate equivalent attempt to make direct contact.

• Record the date, time and outcome of the visit or attempted contact.
• Record any explanation, need or barrier identified.
• Offer support and explain the next steps.
• Follow safeguarding procedures if a concern is identified.

Step 9: decide whether the case is ready for Stage 3

Before progressing, check that:

• attendance is below 80%;
• there are 20 or more unauthorised sessions within the relevant 10-school-week period;
• the mandatory Stage 2 process has been completed;
• the school has explored the reasons for absence;
• appropriate support has been offered and recorded;
• the evidence demonstrates the parent's engagement or non-engagement;
• there is no unresolved unmet need requiring further assessment or support; and
• the attendance codes and records are accurate.

Step 10: send Enforcement Letter 3 and submit the Stage 3 request

Where the Stage 3 criteria are met, send the current Enforcement Letter 3 and prepare the complete electronic Stage 3 submission.

Do not submit an incomplete request. Missing documents, an incomplete tracking record or an unsigned attendance certificate may result in the request being returned.

The Stage 2 record should show:

• accurate attendance information and absence codes;
• the pattern and extent of absence;
• contact with the pupil and parent;
• the reasons given for absence;
• needs, barriers and safeguarding concerns considered;
• support offered, accepted, declined or attempted;
• referrals and multi-agency d attempts to secure attendance at meetings;
• the Attendance Panel Meeting record or details of the attempted meeting;
• the Attendance Contract and its review;
• the home visit or documented attempt to make direct contact;
• the parent's engagement or non-engagement; and
• the impact of the intervention on attendance.

Stage 3 criteria

A Stage 3 request may be considered where:

• attendance is below 80%;
• there are 20 or more unauthorised sessions within a 10-school-week period; and
• the mandatory Stage 2 process has been completed.

Meeting the attendance threshold alone is not sufficient. The submission must demonstrate the school's assessment, support, formal intervention, monitoring and attempts to secure parental engagement.

Required submission

Submit all of the following electronically:

• a completed Stage 3 Statutory Intervention Request Form;
• a completed Stage 2 Tracking Form;
• an attendance certificate covering the most recent 12 school weeks, signed and dated by the headteacher; and
• a copy of Enforcement Letter 3.

Final submission checks

• The pupil's details are accurate.
• The parent details and addresses are accurate.
• The attendance certificate covers the correct period.
• The attendance codes are complete and accurate.
• There are no unresolved absence codes.
• The attendance certificate is signed and dated by the headteacher.
• The Stage 2 Tracking Form is complete.
• The chronology is clear and consistent.
• The evidence shows the support offered and the parent's engagement or non-engagement.
• All required documents are attached.

An unsigned attendance certificate or incomplete supporting evidence may result in the request being returned.

Submit the request

Complete the documents electronically and email the full Stage 3 submission to [email protected].

1. Initial review

Bradford Council reviews the Stage 3 request and supporting documents to determine whether the criteria are met and whether the submission is complete.

2. Acceptance or return

The school will be informed whether the request has been accepted. An incomplete request, or a request that does not demonstrate completion of the required Stage 2 process, may be returned to the school.

3. Criminal investigation

If the request is accepted, Bradford Council may begin a criminal investigation. The investigation considers the attendance evidence, the support and intervention provided, and whether the parent has engaged effectively with the support offered.

4. Interview Under Caution

The parent may be invited to an Interview Under Caution and given an opportunity to respond to the attendance concern and the evidence gathered.

5. Outcome

Bradford Council will review the evidence and decide the appropriate outcome. Legal action may be considered where the evidential and public-interest requirements are met.

If an unmet need is identified

If an additional need is identified during the investigation and that need has not been appropriately assessed or supported, the investigation may cease and the case may be returned for further Stage 2 intervention.

Bradford Council will aim to communicate with the school:

• to confirm whether the Stage 3 request has been accepted and, where accepted, arrange Investigation Step 1 within five working days;
• to confirm the date of any Interview Under Caution within five working days of the school visit;
• to confirm the outcome of the investigation within five working days of the Interview Under Caution; and
• to confirm any court date within 10 working days of the Interview Under Caution.

If there is a delay, the school will be informed and given an approximate date for the next stage.

The school should notify Bradford Council within five working days if anything significant occurs or the family's circumstances change.

Submitting a Stage 3 request does not end the school's attendance work.

The Stage 3 investigation relates to a fixed period of attendance and absence ending on the date the request is submitted. The school should restart school-led attendance intervention for any new absence from the next school day.

Continue to:

• monitor attendance and punctuality;
• contact the family about new absence;
• assess any new or changing need;
• offer appropriate support;
• record new intervention and engagement; and
• inform Bradford Council promptly of significant developments.