Effective strategies: Local authority case studies

West Lothian has 13 secondary schools, 11 of which were involved in the LA secondary attendance group project.  

Why was the action required? 

In 2021-22 the authority recognised that secondary headteachers were reporting challenges with attendance. They were aware of growing numbers of young people whose attendance levels were 50% and below.  

What action was taken? 

Changes to systems: 

• most secondary schools chose to employ a family link worker from their Pupil Equity Fund (PEF), with a specific remit around improving attendance for targeted young people 

• targets for all schools, regardless of whether they had family link workers (FLW), around improving attendance of young people in SIMD quintile 1, was part of the local authority Scottish Attainment Challenge stretch aim 

• schools were asked to identify a further group of young people to improve their attendance. This was based on their own contexts 

• attendance collaborative sessions were attended by depute headteachers. A FLW upskilled staff in a range of ways and carried out collaborative reflection and planning 

• open conversations with a range of partners about how they could work more effectively together 

• recognising the importance of gentle pressure, relentlessly applied 

• ensured that FLW caseloads were manageable and that they targeted the young people who they can really make a difference with. With young people whose attendance was below 50%, recognition that a partnership approach was required

• the evolution of Power BI system in West Lothian 

What was the impact of this action? 

Working with Educational Psychology Service, developing research into impact with families being supported by Forth Valley and West Lothian, has been developed.  

Attendance of targeted young people has been improved with increases in attendance month on month since December 2022 and an increase of 6.9% on average between March and April 2023. At whole school level a 1.9% increase was evidenced. 

The authority has not managed to see this improvement in attendance impact at a universal level across all secondary schools and continue to face ongoing challenges in this area. 

Next steps in 2023-24

• Working with all education establishments and senior officers to develop the ‘West Lothian Attendance Strategy’.

• Focus on culture, systems and practice through a quality improvement officer secondment. 

• Encourage schools to undertake a series of small, yet critical systemic changes, which together will contribute to increased accuracy in recording pupil attendance. 

• Regular review of school roll, review of approaches to recording and amending individual pupil attendance and consistent application of SEEMiS attendance codes. 

• Rigorous, relentless analysis of attendance data followed by timely, proportionate interventions. 

Questions for consideration

• Why is a young person’s individual attendance as it is?  
• Why has their attendance dropped?  
• Why are they always absent on a Friday? 
• Why do they always come in late on a Tuesday morning? etc. 

South Lanarkshire Council - Improving Attendance: A ‘Test of Change’ 

West Lothian - A Strategic Approach in Schools and Early Years Settings

East Lothian’s Targeted Intervention Programmes are designed to focus on promoting positive relationships and behaviour, increasing attendance in school and in turn raising attainment. This case study reports on the success of East Lothian Outdoor Learning’s ‘Adventure On’ programme. Also mentioned is a similar programme which acted as a precursor, known as ‘Biking North’. It is strongly believed that both have supported the aims of early intervention and have successfully enabled young people to live more fulfilled, healthy, and positive lives. This has been shown to increase attendance and therefore support raising attainment for those pupils involved.

This document is for senior leaders and teachers who are working with young people who might be: disengaged; displaying challenging behaviour; lacking resilience; struggling academically; high achieving; the forgotten middle; lacking activity; young carers; or with additional support needs. 

Why was the action required? 

There is significant research that has shown that outdoor learning boosts confidence, social skills, communication, motivation, physical skills, knowledge and understanding. It has also been found to boost children's self-esteem, confidence, ability to work cooperatively and build a positive attitude to learning.  While all children benefit from learning outdoors there are many who also struggle to be part of a classroom environment. Outdoor learning can offer an opportunity for them to learn in a less intimidating way where they are actively engaged. There is also evidence to suggest that a focus on adventure and free play within education can help young people face up to challenges, express and deal with emotions, and give them a desire to succeed.  

Targeted interventions can be for young people who are: disengaged; lacking resilience; struggling academically; high achieving; the forgotten middle; lacking activity; young carers; or with additional support needs. This case study describes a programme designed to help raise attendance and attainment for young people who were disengaged from school and often displayed challenging behaviour. 

What action was taken? 

Over the 2020/21 and 2021/22 the school delivered an intervention programme to secondary school children called ‘Biking North’. The group met on a weekly basis, using biking and the outdoors as a vehicle to develop transferable life skills including responsibility, cooperation, resilience. Participants learned the skills needed to become proficient enough to complete a two-day self-supported expedition through the highlands of Scotland with an overnight wild camp. There was a focus on Health & Wellbeing throughout the programme and there were opportunities to gain awards and certification. The ratio was six children to two staff.  It ran successfully with the support of a member of staff from two local high schools who recommended the children for the group.   

Over the 2022/23 and 2023/24 the school delivered an ‘Adventure On’ multi activity programme to primary school children from schools across East Lothian. This was a long-term targeted intervention programme for a group of up to six young people per course. The group met on a weekly basis, at the start of the week, and used outdoor adventure activities as an approach to develop transferable life skills including responsibility, cooperation, resilience, confidence, organisation and other more practical life skills. The programme also aimed to promote positive relationships and behaviour, increasing attendance in school and in turn raising attainment. 

Participants developed technical skills from a range of activities including cycling, paddlesports, bushcraft, coasteering, climbing, skiing and hill walking. The programme concluded with a self-supported expedition. The sessions were tailored toward the group's interests and strengths. The young people were heavily involved in the design and direction of each day. There was also a focus on Health & Wellbeing with opportunities for awards and certification. An East Lothian Council Outdoor Learning Teacher worked alongside an Outdoor Learning Instructor throughout the programme, helping to build and maintain positive relationships and communicate with school staff & parents/carers, predominantly through google classroom. Personalised outcomes were aligned with the individual child’s plan. 

At the request of headteachers and other relevant professionals within education, the programme ran a further time in 2023/2024, bringing together a cohort of seven young people in Primary 7 from different East Lothian schools.  

What was the impact of this action? 

To measure the impact of the targeted programmes they have taken a closer look at our ‘Adventure On’ group who joined us during the 22/23 academic year:  

A group of primary seven boys were identified who would benefit from an opportunity such as this during their week. All of them were struggling to maintain a full-time timetable, and many had experienced care. The group were identified by members of staff including the Headteacher for Care Experienced Young People, the Active Schools Coordinators, and Headteachers in primary schools who were aware of their home lives and their early childhood backgrounds. 

The group all struggled to work with a larger class in school and often struggled with peer relationships. At least half of the group struggled with sensory issues or had additional support needs such as autism. Many of the young people struggled with low self-esteem and body image issues and were about to enter a transitional period of their life with the end of primary school coming up. While this group had many challenges, they all also had an interest in outdoor activities or physical activity and were willing to try something new. Many of them had engaged in similar activities and showed a willingness to be involved in a structured programme. While many of the young people were hesitant to engage initially, they were all eager to build a relationship with a safe, trusting adult who could offer this new style of learning.  

Once a young person was identified by professionals, Outdoor Learning staff met with them individually. An important part of the initial meeting was creating a link between the ‘Adventure On’ staff and the young person’s school teacher or support worker. During this meeting they found out about the programme, got to ask questions and parents/guardians and teachers were able to provide feedback about their learning needs. This allowed communication to flow effectively between the school and programme staff when needed and also created a channel where school staff could hear about achievements that had happened while on the programme. The young people who got the most out of the programme were those with a strong continuous link between school and Outdoor Learning staff. This allowed challenges to be worked on in both settings and achievements acknowledged and celebrated by both. Adventure On staff posted photos, videos and messages on a Google Classroom which school staff and families were invited to join so that they could see updates each week. This meant that the young people also had an opportunity to talk about their learning and show their peers.   

While the ‘Biking North’ groups were able to work through relevant recognised qualifications to do with biking, mechanics and maintenance (and thus were able to use this towards gaining employment or access further education), the ‘Adventure On’ group focused more on personal development. The group had many different conflicting personalities in it therefore the leaders concentrated on supporting their emotional intelligence and building positive relationships. There were noticeable changes in the group's kindness towards each other, their ability to praise and be empathetic towards each other, and good manners to other adults who they met while out. While this was not an initially planned outcome, it quickly became one of the focuses of the group and the leaders saw a considerable change in the individuals from the beginning of the programme to the end.  

The activities helped create meaningful relationships not only between the young people in the group, but also between the young people and adults. For some of them having a positive, safe and trusting relationship with an adult was unusual due to home circumstances. This has meant that this relationship was extremely important in enabling them to gain a positive mindset for the future and learn that adults can be trusted. This not only had an impact on young people who attended, but also their social peers as they became more responsible and safer citizens of East Lothian. 

The programme ended with an overnight camp which was planned and organised collaboratively by the group. They fully embraced the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and gained new life skills and understanding during this stay. The group also completed Bikeability level 1 & 2, Paddlestart 1 and the Orienteering star award level 1. Many of the group members had been offered Bikeability within school but had not managed it or had refused, but with a smaller group and trusted adults they were able to achieve both levels within the programme.  

Since this programme many of the participants have gone on to join other activities offered by the council such as extra-curricular clubs. They have made relationships which have carried on and this has supported their transitions into high school. Skills learnt on this programme have been used in their day to day lives such as cycling to school and around their local areas and they have become role models for other young people in their communities.  

It was reported by staff in schools and parents/carers that the children have come back to school more positive, sharing their experiences with other staff and fellow pupils alike. Parents and carers have said that they are more settled at home and more willing to go into school to discuss what they have been doing on the ‘Adventure On’ Programme. It has been recognised that this programme massively supports the transition from primary school to secondary for young people who may struggle in normal circumstances. There have also been huge personal outcomes for young people at a pivotal stage in their development, and these outcomes have been noticed by families, schools and their peers.  

Reflective questions