Tackling Truancy in Schools: A Practical Manual for Primary and Secondary Schools

Book Cover......Page 1
Untitled......Page 2
Title......Page 3
Copyright......Page 4
Acknowledgements......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
Aims of the Handbook......Page 8
THE MEANING OF TRUANCY......Page 10
CASE STUDIES......Page 11
THE CONSEQUENCES OF TRUANCY......Page 12
RECOGNISING POTENTIAL TRUANTS......Page 14
Childhood and Truancy......Page 15
Warning signs......Page 16
The Personality of Truants......Page 17
DELINQUENCY AND TRUANCY......Page 18
Wayne......Page 19
Expulsion......Page 20
Exclusion......Page 21
The consequences of formal sanctions......Page 22
Causes of disruptive behaviour......Page 23
THE END OF THE LINE: A YOUNG OFFENDER......Page 24
Implications......Page 27
TRUANTS’ FEELINGS WHEN AWAY FROM SCHOOL......Page 29
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES......Page 30
LISTENING TO TRUANTS......Page 31
INTERVIEWS WITH TRUANTS......Page 32
TEACHERS AND TRUANCY: SPECIFIC LESSON ABSENCE......Page 33
Post-Registration Truancy......Page 36
Parental-condoned Truancy......Page 37
Maureen......Page 39
Kim......Page 40
Issues Arising......Page 41
PSYCHOLOGICAL ABSENCE......Page 44
School Refusal or School Phobia......Page 45
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES......Page 46
CATEGORIES OF TRUANTS......Page 48
THE GENERIC TRUANT......Page 49
Paul......Page 50
Gary......Page 51
Implications......Page 52
RECENT TRUANCY TRAITS......Page 53
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES......Page 55
ADVANCED ACTIVITY......Page 56
REGIONAL AND NATIONAL SURVEYS......Page 57
AGE AND GENDER DIFFERENCES......Page 59
FAMILY AND PEER INFLUENCES......Page 60
VARIATIONS IN TRUANCY RATES......Page 61
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES......Page 63
KEY ISSUES DISCUSSED IN THIS UNIT......Page 65
Early Identification......Page 66
Community and Multi-agency Co-operation......Page 67
The Effects of the National Curriculum......Page 68
League Tables......Page 69
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES......Page 70
KEY ISSUES COVERED IN THIS UNIT......Page 72
What Can I do to Help?......Page 73
Parents and Legislation......Page 74
PARENTS AND TRUANCY: BACKGROUND ASPECTS......Page 75
PARENTS AND SOUND FOUNDATIONS......Page 78
Targets......Page 79
Three Years: Nine Measures......Page 80
Summary......Page 81
WHERE PARENTS LAY THE BLAME FOR TRUANCY......Page 82
ADVANCED ACTIVITY......Page 83
CAUSES OF TRUANCY......Page 85
SOCIAL INDICES OF TRUANCY......Page 86
The Socio-economic Backgrounds of Truants......Page 87
FAMILY LIFE AND TRUANCY......Page 88
Relationships between Home and School......Page 89
Diane......Page 90
Findings of the Study......Page 92
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES......Page 94
ADVANCED ACTIVITIES......Page 95
RESEARCH FINDINGS......Page 96
THE EXTERNAL SYSTEM......Page 97
STIGMA......Page 98
CHILDREN IN A SINGLE-PARENT FAMILY......Page 99
FATHERS AND SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES......Page 101
Child care......Page 102
SCHOOLS AND ONE-PARENT FAMILIES......Page 103
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES......Page 104
ADVANCED ACTIVITY......Page 105
THE EDUCATIONAL CAUSES OF TRUANCY......Page 106
REASONS WHY PERSISTENT ABSENTEES FIRST MISS AND CONTINUE TO MISS SCHOOL......Page 108
The Sample......Page 109
Results......Page 111
THE CAUSES OF TRUANCY IN SCHOOLS IN SCOTLAND......Page 118
THE STATISTICAL LINK BETWEEN ATTENDANCE, TRUANCY AND PERFORMANCE......Page 120
THE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE PUPILS TO PLAY TRUANT......Page 121
On Staff and Schools as a Whole......Page 122
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES......Page 123
THE INITIAL SCHOOL-BASED REVIEW......Page 125
INITIAL STEPS......Page 126
PREVENTION......Page 127
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES......Page 128
THE USE OF SURVEYS: UNDERSTANDING YOUR OWN SCHOOL......Page 129
OUTCOMES FROM A SURVEY OF ONE SECONDARY SCHOOL......Page 131
ADVANCED ACTIVITIES......Page 132
THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL POLICY DOCUMENTS......Page 138
FOUR STEPS IN DEVELOPING A COHERENT POLICY ON ATTENDANCE......Page 139
REWARD SYSTEMS......Page 140
A DRAFT POLICY DOCUMENT......Page 141
The Mission Statement......Page 142
Registration (Including Lateness)......Page 143
Authorised/Unauthorised Absence......Page 144
Strategies for Promoting Attendance/Punctuality......Page 145
Reintegration of long-term absenteeism......Page 146
Attendance panels......Page 147
Register checks and spot checks......Page 148
Statutory framework......Page 149
Parents......Page 150
Authorised/Unauthorised Absence......Page 151
Holidays......Page 152
Strategies for promoting attendance......Page 153
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES......Page 155
ADVANCED ACTIVITY......Page 156
KEY ISSUES DISCUSSED IN THIS UNIT......Page 157
PERSONAL AND SOCIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMES......Page 158
CORRECTIVE SCHEMES TO OVERCOME LITERACY AND NUMERACY PROBLEMS......Page 159
THE USE OF CLASSROOM ASSISTANTS......Page 160
THE FORMATION OF ANTI-TRUANCY TEAMS......Page 161
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT AND LOTTERY-TYPE SCHEMES......Page 162
COMBATING LATENESS......Page 163
COMBATING POST-REGISTRATION TRUANCY......Page 164
RETURN TO SCHOOL POLICIES......Page 165
A Different Learning Environment......Page 166
Some Suggestions......Page 167
Settling In......Page 168
CLARIFICATION OF STAFF ROLES......Page 169
Recording of Attendance......Page 170
Registers......Page 171
INTER-AGENCY CO-OPERATION......Page 172
Educational underachievement......Page 173
Who is Responsible?......Page 177
Case study A......Page 178
Case study B......Page 179
IMPROVING HOME-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION......Page 180
THE USE OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS......Page 181
IMPROVED HEALTH CHECKS......Page 182
Duties of an attendance support teacher......Page 183
THE APPOINTMENT OF AN ATTENDANCE SUPPORT SECRETARY......Page 184
THE MENTORING OF TRUANTS......Page 185
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES......Page 186
ADVANCED ACTIVITIES......Page 187
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHERS AND TRUANCY......Page 189
Combating School Indiscipline......Page 191
PRIMARY SCHOOLS: EFFECTIVENESS ISSUES......Page 193
EFFECTIVE SECONDARY SCHOOLS......Page 194
Characteristics of Effective Schools as Organisations......Page 195
EFFECTIVE SCHOOLS: LESSONS FROM THE STATES......Page 196
Pupil and Pastoral Care......Page 197
Evidence from Research......Page 198
OFSTED GUIDELINES ON TEACHING......Page 199
Evaluation criteria......Page 200
A CHECKLIST ON OUTCOMES OF RESEARCH INTO SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS AND TRUANCY......Page 201
ADVANCED ACTIVITY......Page 202
THE CONCEPT: COLOUR-CODED GROUPS......Page 203
Blue Group......Page 204
Benefits for the Comprehensive......Page 205
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES......Page 206
ADVANCED ACTIVITIES......Page 207
THE GOALS OF THE PROJECT......Page 208
THE USE OF A GOVERNORS’ ATTENDANCE PANEL......Page 209
THE JOB DESCRIPTION OF THE ATTENDANCE SUPPORT TEACHER......Page 211
THE JOB DESCRIPTION OF THE ATTENDANCE PROJECT OFFICER......Page 213
ADVANCED ACTIVITY......Page 214
THE AIMS OF THE PROJECTS......Page 215
Case Study 1......Page 216
Case Study 2......Page 217
FEATURES OF SUCCESSFUL PRACTICE......Page 218
Corrective Reading Scheme......Page 219
Exemplar 2......Page 220
ADVANCED ACTIVITIES......Page 221
OFSTED INSPECTIONS......Page 223
Evaluation criteria......Page 224
Particular Features......Page 225
Evaluation criteria......Page 226
Particular Features......Page 227
ADVANCED ACTIVITY......Page 228
KEY ISSUES DISCUSSED IN THIS UNIT......Page 229
Specific Measures......Page 230
STANDARDS AND TRUANCY: PRIMARY SCHOOL PROVISION......Page 231
TRUANCY, LITERACY AND ATTAINMENT......Page 233
SETTING SCHOOLS TRUANCY TARGETS......Page 234
Homework Clubs......Page 235
HOME-SCHOOL AGREEMENTS......Page 237
PUPIL PANELS TO TACKLE TRUANCY......Page 238
STANDARDS, SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND TRUANCY......Page 239
TACKLING SOCIAL EXCLUSION......Page 241
THE SUMMER SCHOOL INITIATIVE AND THE INTERNET......Page 242
FIRST-DAY CONTACT......Page 243
THE INSPECTION OF LOCAL EDUCATION AUTHORITIES......Page 245
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES......Page 246
ADVANCED ACTIVITY......Page 247
KEY ISSUES CONSIDERED IN THIS UNIT......Page 249
RECENT STUDIES OF TRUANCY AND EXCLUSION......Page 250
A SUMMARY OF REASONS OFFERED BY SCHOOLS FOR EXCLUSIONS......Page 251
Targeting Funds......Page 253
BETTER SOLUTIONS FOR CHILDREN THAT HAVE TO BE EXCLUDED......Page 254
TACKLING TRUANCY AND EXCLUSION......Page 255
THE TRUANCY AND SCHOOL EXCLUSION REPORT, 1998......Page 256
Help for Schools with Truancy Problems......Page 257
THE POLICE: NEW TRUANCY POWERS......Page 258
CHANGING THE CULTURE......Page 259
Exclusions......Page 260
Ethnic Minorities......Page 262
Children in Care......Page 263
PREVENTING AND MANAGING EXCLUSION......Page 264
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES......Page 266
ADVANCED ACTIVITY......Page 267
The Relationship Between Records of Achievement and Attendance......Page 268
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES......Page 270
ADVANCED ACTIVITY......Page 271
WORK PLACEMENT SCHEMES......Page 293
Information for Employers......Page 294
Before the placement......Page 295
While on the placement......Page 301
The Role of the Parent......Page 302
Benefits to Students......Page 303
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES......Page 304
ADVANCED ACTIVITIES......Page 305
KEY ISSUES CONSIDERED IN THIS UNIT......Page 309
THE EDUCATION WELFARE SERVICE......Page 310
The Authority expects schools:......Page 311
Promoting Positive Behaviour: Primary Project......Page 312
The ESW—profile......Page 313
Educational psychologists......Page 314
Special Educational Needs......Page 315
Pupil Learning Centre......Page 316
Prevention and Support Services......Page 317
Travellers’ Families......Page 318
Aims......Page 319
Bolton Education Social Work Service......Page 320
Casework......Page 321
Advice on legal requirements......Page 322
Responsibilities of the LEA......Page 323
Governors......Page 324
Bolton’s procedure......Page 325
Family Holidays and Extended Trips Overseas During Term-time......Page 326
Attendance Registers......Page 327
Definition of a ‘Child in Need’......Page 328
IMPROVING SCHOOL ATTENDANCE......Page 329
ADVANCED ACTIVITIES......Page 330
KEY ISSUES COVERED IN THIS UNIT......Page 332
1 Introduction......Page 333
2.2 Secretarial support......Page 334
3.1 DfEE data for 1995–96......Page 335
3.2......Page 336
3.3 <80 per cent data 1996–97......Page 337
4 Work with Schools......Page 338
4.1 Attendance......Page 339
4.1.4......Page 340
4.2.1......Page 341
4.3.1......Page 342
4.4.2 Fixed-term exclusions in the county......Page 344
4.4.4......Page 345
5.1.2......Page 346
City......Page 347
6 Court-related Work......Page 348
7.5 Children who offend......Page 350
7.8 Local initiatives......Page 351
9 Information Systems......Page 352
For school staff......Page 354
ADVANCED ACTIVITY......Page 355
Bibliography......Page 356
Further Reading......Page 358
Subject Index......Page 359