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