Attendance: Our Vision, Values and Ethos

At Minds Education, we believe that attendance is not simply about being present, but about belonging, engagement, safety and readiness to learn. For the children and young people we support, attendance must be understood in context and shaped through relationships, trust and inclusion, not solely through percentages.

Our approach to attendance is rooted in our wider vision, values and ethos. We aim to create a culture where pupils feel welcomed, understood and motivated to attend, and where families and partner schools feel supported rather than judged.

Promoting this shared vision for attendance with our pupils, their families and carers, and our partner schools is a key priority. We recognise that building a strong, inclusive attendance culture takes time and consistency, particularly for vulnerable learners who may have experienced disrupted education, anxiety, exclusion or unmet needs in the past.

Understanding Attendance for Our Cohort

We understand that attendance data for alternative provision and specialist settings must be interpreted carefully. Attendance figures alone do not always reflect:

  • progress in re-engagement

  • improvements in emotional regulation and trust

  • reduced avoidance behaviours

  • or increased consistency compared to previous placements

For our pupils, attendance progress is often non-linear. Small steps forward can represent significant personal achievement. We therefore use attendance data thoughtfully, combining it with pastoral insight, professional judgement and pupil voice to ensure it truly reflects each young person’s journey.

What We Already Do Well

Our strengths in promoting attendance include:

  • Building a strong sense of belonging every day, so pupils feel safe, valued and known

  • Consistent communication between families/carers, home schools, pupils and our staff

  • Flexible, relational approaches that recognise individual barriers to attendance

  • Close partnership working with referring schools and professionals

  • Celebrating progress and effort, not just outcomes

These foundations allow us to support attendance in a way that is compassionate, realistic and effective for our cohort.

Our Ongoing and Future Focus

As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we aim to further develop our attendance culture by:

  • Continuing to align attendance practice with our values of inclusion, trust and respect

  • Using attendance data more transparently and meaningfully

  • Sharing key attendance information and trends in an accessible and sensitive way with pupils and families

  • Helping pupils and families understand what attendance data represents

  • Empowering pupils and families to see themselves as active partners in improving attendance

By making attendance information clearer and more accessible, we aim to strengthen understanding, reduce anxiety around attendance measures, and highlight the shared role we all play in supporting consistent engagement.

Our Commitment

Our commitment is to promote attendance through:

  • relationship-first practice

  • informed use of data

  • strong partnerships

  • and a belief that every pupil can make progress, given the right support

We see attendance not as an end in itself, but as part of a wider journey towards confidence, stability and successful reintegration into education.