Attendance
The Attendance Support Team track attendance data in schools in East Sussex. This helps to identify issues and barriers to attendance early on.
The team will support schools to manage any concerns. They help the school plan individual or group approaches to improve attendance.
What the Attendance Support Team offer
- A daily attendance helpline for schools.
- Opportunities for schools to share best practice.
- Targeted support meetings to identify and address concerns.
- Multi-disciplinary support for families and signposting to other council services.
- Support with legal interventions like parenting contracts, Extended Support Officers, fixed penalty notices, parenting orders and prosecutions.
The Attendance Support Team is part of the new Team Around the School and Setting (TASS).
We work in area-based teams to provide in-school support and advice in:
- Lewes, Coastal and Wealden
- Hastings and Rother
- Eastbourne and Hailsham
Key documents
Working together to improve school attendance | GOV.UK has the following key documents with guidance for schools, academy trusts and governing bodies:
- Working together to improve school attendance
- Summary table of responsibilities for school attendance
Resources for families | Children's Commissioner for England has a 'Guide for parents on school attendance' that you can download.
Contact the Attendance Support Team
Attendance helpline
Phone: 01273 481 967 (open Monday to Friday 9.30am to 12.30pm)
Attendance below 50%
The Level 2 Keywork Team work with the Attendance Support Team to improve school attendance. The team is part of the Early Help Service.
They offer support to families with children whose attendance has dropped below 50% for two terms in a row (current and previous).
The team takes a whole family approach. They work with parents, carers and children within the family. The intervention is voluntary.
Criterial for referral to Level 2 Keywork Team
You should refer to this team if:
- The pupil has not returned to school in September.
- The pupil has been consistently absent across two academic terms.
Your referral must show:
- How you tried to re-engage the pupil and address attendance.
- That you worked through Tiers 1 to 3 on the attendance flowchart and contacted the Attendance Team helpline.
- That you have acted on any strategies and advice you received from the Council.
Make a referral
The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) makes a statement of referral (SoR) through the Children's Portal.
Email a copy of the school attendance plan (formal or informal) that you completed with the pupil and their parents to webspoa@eastsussex.gov.uk
If the pupil has diagnosed special educational needs, include the following with your referral:
- Their current additional needs plan (ANP) or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
- Evidence that you reviewed the ANP or you are applying for an EHCP.
Related information
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