Agenda item

Sharon Randall-Smith delivered a presentation, introduced the report and answered the members’ questions:

Is there any concern that some children recorded as home?educated might not be receiving a suitable education?

There are currently 192 electively home?educated pupils across the authority, and I am confident that these children are receiving a suitable education. Elective home education does not need to replicate school?based provision, provided it enables children to develop appropriate skills and achieve their potential. We have robust monitoring arrangements in place, including a dedicated elective home education officer who maintains regular contact with families, carries out visits where required and provides support. Where concerns arise, which is rare, we have the power to issue a School Attendance Order, although this has not been necessary in the past four years.

What interventions can be put in place to address the gap in attendance between FSM and non-FSM pupils?

The FSM/non?FSM attendance gap, particularly in secondary schools, is a priority area of concern. The gap at secondary level is wider than the Wales average, while the primary gap is smaller than the national picture. Gaps can sometimes widen even when attendance improves overall, particularly if non?FSM attendance rises more quickly. Progress is monitored not just through the size of the gap but also through improvements in FSM attendance levels themselves. Addressing the gap is a consistent focus in individual pupil?level discussions with schools, especially secondaries, with attention given to identifying barriers to attendance and putting appropriate support in place.

Are there any particular concerns that tend to come out of visits to home-schooled pupils, in terms of gaps in education?

No, and because elective home education does not follow a statutory curriculum, it is not assessed against school?based provision. Instead, officers look for evidence that children are developing core skills, particularly literacy, communication, numeracy, inquiry and exploration, including opportunities to develop scientific understanding through planned activities. The authority provides supportive engagement, including shared learning sessions and opportunities for pupils to come together for creative and practical activities. Visits generally confirm that education is suitable and flexible, with pupils making appropriate progress in key skill areas, and that the breadth of experiences available to home?educated learners is often different from, but not inferior to, those in school settings.

Are punitive measures for holiday absences still place and how much discretion is given to headteachers?

The response confirmed that headteachers retain discretion to authorise or refuse term?time holiday absences. The authority’s guidance is that holidays should not normally be authorised, except in exceptional circumstances, and work is ongoing with school clusters to ensure a consistent understanding of what counts as “exceptional” across primary and secondary schools. The authority is not currently issuing fixed penalty notices for unauthorised holidays, reflecting the view that punitive measures do not generally improve attendance. However, this position is kept under review, and there may be limited circumstances in future where such measures are reconsidered. The key distinction remains between authorised and unauthorised absence, with formal intervention triggered when unauthorised absence leads to declining attendance.

The persistent absence threshold has been changed by Welsh Government from 20% to10%. Does the authority still track absences at a 20% threshold?

The response confirmed that although Welsh Government has lowered the persistent absence threshold from 20% to 10%, the authority continues to track attendance across multiple thresholds, including 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and up to 70%. This allows schools and the Education Welfare Service to maintain a detailed understanding of attendance patterns, identify different groups of pupils, and intervene proportionately. While there was an initial spike when the threshold changed, persistent absence has since declined across both primary and secondary schools, and regular monitoring ensures the authority knows where pupils sit and what support is in place for them.

Do you drill down into attendance data to identify trends within specific year groups, particularly where the overall report focuses on the whole picture?

Yes, year?group trends are routinely recorded and tracked with schools. These form part of a consultation document that informs discussions with schools and allows trends to be examined at year?group level rather than only at whole?school level.

Are trends within particular pupil groups or individual schools analysed to identify whether there are emerging or persistent attendance issues?

Attendance trends can be analysed by year group and by school. In primary schools, attendance tends to be higher and more consistent, though younger year groups are more affected by illness. In secondary schools, Year 7 typically shows the highest absence, with rates tailing off in later years. Some cohorts show consistently high absence throughout their school career, and these are closely monitored by Education Welfare Officers (EWOs), who use their detailed knowledge of schools and historical records to track patterns over time.

When pupils have been persistently absent, what practical steps are taken to support their return to school, such as phased reintegration or placement in a less intimidating classroom environment where appropriate?

Support for pupils returning after absence is tailored to individual circumstances. Short absences usually result in a normal return to school, while extended absences involve early contact with families through the FLOWS service. Trauma?informed approaches are used, and reintegration may include phased returns or other bespoke arrangements agreed with schools. The integration of family liaison officers has significantly strengthened this work.

Is there a breakdown of attendance figures into authorised and unauthorised absences?

Attendance data includes a clear breakdown of authorised and unauthorised absences, which can be reviewed at school and year?group level as part of monitoring and consultation processes.

How are absences related to unavoidable medical issues treated within the attendance data, and are these included in overall attendance figures or reported separately?

Authorised absences, including those related to medical issues, are still recorded as absences within attendance figures, but they are recognised as reasonable and agreed by the school. Unauthorised absences are treated differently, as they may trigger involvement from the service due to concerns about attendance and engagement.

How are school exclusions (including suspensions and expulsions) reported, are they included within this attendance report, and if not, how can scrutiny access data on exclusion trends across Monmouthshire schools – both in terms of whether figures are rising or falling and the underlying reasons – and should this be considered as a separate item for future scrutiny?

Exclusions are one of several factors that can explain why pupils are not attending school, alongside issues such as reduced timetables, social, emotional and mental health needs, flexi?schooling arrangements, and other contextual factors. Exclusion data has already been formally reported, with a recent report presented to this committee on 27^th January, covering both permanent and temporary exclusions. That report provides detailed information for members who wish to examine trends and reasons in more depth. In addition, there is close operational coordination between the Education Welfare Service and colleagues responsible for exclusions, with register?checking information shared to ensure accuracy of figures and clear oversight of when pupils are excluded and when they return to school.

How are the root causes of non?attendance – such as behavioural issues, social, emotional and mental health needs, trauma and adverse childhood experiences – identified across services that sit in different directorates?

Non?attendance is recognised as having multiple and complex causes. Services work collectively within the same directorate and closely with inclusion colleagues to ensure children’s needs are well understood. While the Education Welfare Service (EWS) cannot always meet specialist needs directly, these are regularly communicated to appropriate services that can provide targeted interventions. Schools also play a central role in identifying barriers and responding to pupils’ individual needs.

Beyond responding to behaviour, what is being done to address underlying causes and prevent issues from escalating?

The approach combines specialist intervention where required with preventative work in schools. Schools are expected to provide a curriculum and wider provision that develops pupils’ resilience and ability to cope with change as they grow older. Many schools are already implementing resilience?focused programmes and using a range of strategies to encourage regular attendance, supported by partner services reviewing and adapting provision where needed.

How is investment in social, emotional and mental health support being used proactively to build resilience and coping skills in pupils?

There is a strong emphasis on proactive support alongside reactive interventions. Schools are engaging in programmes designed to build pupil resilience and emotional understanding, while services work together to ensure children receive the appropriate support to attend school as regularly as possible. Additional staffing funded through the budget will further strengthen this work.

Is there scope to do more early intervention work in primary schools, particularly to support emotional development, trauma and key transitions such as adolescence?

The response acknowledges that this is a complex area and that earlier intervention is important. Many schools are already engaging in resilience?building programmes, and services continue to work collectively to strengthen early support. However, it is recognised that some pupils may still face medical or other significant barriers that limit attendance despite support.

Are directorates and scrutiny committees working together as effectively as they could to share information and learning across overlapping areas of responsibility?

Services are part of the same directorate and work closely together, bringing complementary perspectives and expertise. While there is always more that could be done, collaboration is strong and improving. Additional team capacity funded through the budget will support further joined?up working, with the shared aim of ensuring children receive the best possible support and opportunities to attend school wherever appropriate. Members are reminded that they can check published agendas for all committees for items of interest, but officers will also continue to be proactive in pointing members to potential areas of mutual interest across the committees.

Given the high levels of non?attendance among pupils – particularly those eligible for free school meals – and the well?established link between persistent absence, poor educational outcomes and later unemployment, what specific actions are being taken to address this issue early, especially in schools where absence rates are highest, in order to prevent young people becoming locked into long?term disadvantage?

Attendance among pupils eligible for free school meals is a specific and regular focus within consultations with schools. These pupils’ attendance is discussed explicitly, alongside the strategies schools are using and the additional support being provided to improve engagement. In some cases, pupils may be temporarily out of school while awaiting support from wider services, and while not all such pupils are FSM?eligible, there is recognised overlap. This work is particularly concentrated in secondary schools and is reviewed through fortnightly meetings, alternating between Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4, meaning FSM pupils and those at risk of persistent absence are discussed monthly at minimum. Where concerns arise between meetings, these are followed up directly with schools to ensure timely intervention.

Chair’s Summary:

Thank you for the report and the responses given to the members’ questions. The report was moved.