Overview

In August 2024, the Department for Education (DfE) published an updated version of its statutory guidance:
Working together to improve school attendance (August 2024).

The new guidance, effective from 19 August 2024, updates the expectations for schools, trusts, and local authorities on how to manage attendance and absence. It reflects a national shift toward earlier support, consistency in enforcement, and a stronger emphasis on collaboration between schools and families.

This article summarises the main changes, what others have said, and what it all means in practice.

Key Outcomes and Changes

1. Whole-School Attendance Culture

The guidance reinforces that attendance is everyone’s responsibility — from governors and trust boards to classroom teachers. Schools are expected to promote a positive attendance culture, where attendance is viewed as integral to safeguarding and inclusion, not just a compliance task.

“Good attendance is everyone’s business,” the DfE notes, calling for proactive communication and early support rather than reactive interventions.

2. Updated Regulations and Codes

The document reflects new School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024, including updates to attendance codes and expectations around accurate, timely register management.
Schools are advised to review their attendance policies and ensure codes match the revised DfE framework.

3. National Framework for Legal Intervention

For the first time, a national threshold now defines when penalty notices or legal interventions should be considered — typically 10 unauthorised sessions within a 10-week rolling period.
This replaces purely local decision-making and aims to ensure greater consistency across England.

4. Clearer Roles and Responsibilities

A companion resource — Summary table of responsibilities for school attendance — outlines the duties of schools, trusts, local authorities, and parents in promoting attendance.
This transparency is designed to help all partners understand their obligations and improve coordination.

5. “Support-First” Approach

The guidance prioritises early identification and tailored support over sanctions.
Formal legal action should only be used once schools and local authorities can demonstrate genuine attempts to engage families and remove barriers to attendance.

What Others Are Saying

• Local Government Lawyer highlights the greater clarity around school culture, data, and intervention thresholds, and notes that attendance is now more tightly linked to safeguarding and inclusion.
  → Read their commentary
• Devon County Council’s Inclusion Service calls the update a shift from “reactive” enforcement to early, family-centred intervention.
  → Devon Council overview
• Broader media commentary, including The Guardian, connects the changes to record levels of persistent absence — over 170,000 children missing half of their school time in 2024 — and questions whether the “support-first” approach is resourced well enough to make a difference.

Implications for Schools and Trusts

• Policy Review: All schools should update their attendance policies, register procedures, and codes to align with the 2024 guidance.
• Governance: Trusts and governors must treat attendance as a strategic priority linked to school culture and safeguarding.
• Early Intervention: Schools are expected to identify issues early, engage families constructively, and evidence the support offered before considering sanctions.
• Data and Monitoring: Accurate, timely register data and analysis are key to identifying persistent absence trends.
• Consistency: Penalty notices and legal actions now follow a standard national framework — local discretion is narrower, and evidence of support efforts is essential.

Challenges to Watch

• Capacity and Resourcing: Implementing the “support-first” approach requires pastoral and administrative capacity many schools currently lack.
• Complex Needs: Balancing fairness for pupils with health or SEND barriers remains challenging.
• Administrative Load: Daily data returns and revised codes increase workload; digital systems and automation will be crucial.
• Cross-Sector Collaboration: Effective partnerships between schools, trusts, and local authorities will determine success.

Why It Matters

Persistent absence and severe absence remain at record highs, with post-pandemic attendance still fragile. The 2024 guidance reframes attendance as a shared, relational issue — not simply a matter of enforcement.
Its success will depend on how schools translate the policy into practice: building trust with families, addressing barriers early, and using data intelligently to prevent patterns of disengagement.

Resources

Download the full DfE guidance (PDF)
Summary table of responsibilities (PDF)