Attendance has become one of the defining challenges in English education, and it is firmly on Ofsted’s agenda. A child who is not in school cannot benefit from even the best curriculum and teaching — which is why attendance sits within the framework’s evaluation of pupils’ experience, and why schools now have statutory duties to improve it. This article explains why attendance matters to Ofsted, and what the current expectations are.
Quick summary
- Attendance is evaluated within the “attendance and behaviour” area of the report card.
- Schools have statutory duties under Working together to improve school attendance (in force from 19 August 2024).
- The expected approach is “support-first” — tackling the barriers to attendance, especially for vulnerable pupils.
- Attendance connects to achievement, inclusion and personal development — a pupil not in school cannot learn.
Where attendance sits in the framework
Under the education inspection framework, attendance is evaluated within the combined “attendance and behaviour” area, graded on the five-point scale. Inspectors look at a school’s attendance picture and how effectively it is working to improve it — particularly for vulnerable groups.
Why attendance matters so much
The logic is simple but powerful: learning requires being present. Poor attendance undermines everything else a school does:
- pupils who are absent miss learning and fall behind, harming achievement,
- persistent absence often concentrates among disadvantaged and SEND pupils, making it an inclusion issue, and
- attendance is closely linked to wellbeing and safeguarding — absence can be a warning sign.
Because attendance touches achievement, inclusion, personal development and safeguarding, it matters across the framework, not just in its own area.
The statutory duty: “Working together to improve school attendance”
Since 19 August 2024, the Department for Education’s Working together to improve school attendance guidance has been statutory — schools, trusts, governing bodies and local authorities must have regard to it. For the first time, schools have clear legal responsibilities to proactively improve attendance, beyond simply recording it accurately.
Key expectations include:
- a “support-first” approach that helps pupils and families overcome barriers to attendance,
- working with local authorities and partners, including regular meetings about the most at-risk absent children, and
- particular attention to pupils with SEND and mental ill health, who often need individual consideration.
What this means for schools
- Understand your attendance data — including patterns and vulnerable groups.
- Take a support-first approach — identify and tackle the barriers, rather than relying on sanctions alone.
- Work with families and partners to support the most at-risk pupils.
- Give attention to SEND and wellbeing as underlying causes of absence.
- Evidence your work — inspectors look at how effectively the school is improving attendance.
See Improving Student Attendance Using Data for the practical approach.
Frequently asked questions
Where does attendance sit in the Ofsted framework?
Within the combined “attendance and behaviour” evaluation area, graded on the five-point scale.
Is improving attendance a legal duty?
Yes. Since 19 August 2024, “Working together to improve school attendance” is statutory, giving schools clear responsibilities to proactively improve attendance.
What is the “support-first” approach?
An approach that focuses on identifying and tackling the barriers to attendance and supporting families, rather than relying on sanctions alone.
Why does attendance matter beyond its own area?
Because a pupil who is absent cannot learn, so attendance affects achievement, inclusion, personal development and safeguarding.
Which pupils need particular attention?
Disadvantaged pupils, and those with SEND or mental ill health, who often face wider barriers to attendance.
What do inspectors look at regarding attendance?
The school’s attendance picture and how effectively it is working to improve it, particularly for vulnerable groups.
Conclusion
Attendance matters to Ofsted because it underpins everything else — a child who is not in school cannot benefit from teaching, and absence often signals deeper needs. With a statutory duty to improve attendance and a clear support-first expectation, schools are asked not just to record attendance but to actively remove the barriers behind it. Do that well, and you strengthen achievement, inclusion and wellbeing at once.
How AI Buddy supports schools
While attendance is fundamentally a school and family matter, engagement with learning is part of the wider picture. AI Buddy is designed to support schools in strengthening areas evaluated during Ofsted inspections by helping keep pupils engaged in their learning and giving leaders insight into engagement and progress — information that can complement a school’s attendance and inclusion work. It is not endorsed or certified by Ofsted, and it does not claim to solve attendance; it is built to support the engagement and learning that being in school makes possible.
Discover how AI Buddy helps schools strengthen teaching, learning and evidence-informed school improvement. Or start a short consultation with our schools team using the form below.
Sources
- Department for Education, Working together to improve school attendance (GOV.UK)
- Ofsted, Education inspection framework: for use from November 2025 (GOV.UK)
- Department for Education, Keeping Children Safe in Education (GOV.UK)