Attendance and sickness returns identification and review checklist
- Version
- v1
- Updated
- 7 October 2026
- Reviewed
- 7 October 2026
- Who this checklist is for
- Primary and secondary schools and academies in England that are required to provide attendance returns to their local authority; sickness-return checks apply where the responsible organisation has access to and responsibility for the relevant sickness-return report.
- Jurisdiction
- england
10 checklist steps
Blank response areas · preview only
Review the applicable attendance report
Access the school's attendance report or list of pupils with 10 school days, calculated as 20 sessions, or more of continuous unauthorised absence.
- Yes
- No
- Not applicable
Notes
Identify attendance-return pupils
Record each pupil identified by the attendance report as meeting the criterion of 10 school days, calculated as 20 sessions, or more of continuous unauthorised absence.
- Yes
- No
- Not applicable
Notes
Determine whether the sickness-return check applies
If the responsible organisation has access to and responsibility for the relevant sickness-return report, complete the sickness-return steps. Otherwise, do not complete those steps.
Review the applicable sickness-return report
Where the sickness-return check applies, access the relevant report showing pupils with 15 days, full or part, of sickness.
- Yes
- No
- Not applicable
Notes
Identify sickness-return pupils
Where the sickness-return check applies, record each pupil identified by the report as meeting the criterion of 15 days, full or part, of sickness.
- Yes
- No
- Not applicable
Notes
Record the review date
Response required
Enter the date on which the applicable attendance and, where applicable, sickness reports were reviewed.
YYYY-MM-DD
Consider identified pupils for the attendance return
Review each pupil identified through the attendance report and consider whether the pupil should be included in the relevant attendance return to the local authority.
- Yes
- No
- Not applicable
Notes
Consider identified pupils for the sickness return
Where the sickness-return check applies, review each pupil identified through the sickness-return report and consider whether the pupil should be included in the relevant sickness return to the local authority.
- Yes
- No
- Not applicable
Notes
Record attendance-return consideration
Response required
Record the outcome of the consideration for each pupil identified through the attendance report, including any reason for not including a pupil in the relevant local-authority return.
Pupil identifier and consideration outcome
Record sickness-return consideration
Response required
Where the sickness-return check applies, record the outcome of the consideration for each pupil identified through the sickness-return report, including any reason for not including a pupil in the relevant local-authority return.
Pupil identifier and consideration outcome