Attendance data and cohort monitoring checklist
- Version
- v1
- Updated
- 7 October 2026
- Reviewed
- 7 October 2026
- Who this checklist is for
- Maintained and academy primary and secondary schools in England, including school leaders, attendance staff, pastoral staff, SEND staff and governors or trustees involved in attendance oversight.
- Jurisdiction
- england
16 checklist steps
Blank response areas · preview only
Define the review period
Response required
Record the period covered by this attendance review and identify the attendance data sources used.
Review period and data sources
Review attendance data
Review the available attendance data for the school and identify notable patterns, changes or areas requiring further investigation.
- Yes
- No
- Not applicable
Notes
Identify relevant cohorts
Response required
Identify the pupil cohorts included in the review and record any cohort-level patterns or differences requiring follow-up.
Cohorts reviewed and relevant observations
Review trends
Compare the available data across the selected review period or periods to identify attendance trends and changes.
- Yes
- No
- Not applicable
Notes
Decide whether to review lesson attendance
Response required
For a secondary school, or where the school otherwise considers it useful, decide whether within-day lesson attendance should be included in this review. If it is not applicable or not used, record the reason.
Applicable, not applicable, or not used, with reason
Review within-day lesson attendance where applicable
Where the school has chosen to monitor lesson attendance, review the available information for patterns of absence within the school day and pupils who are on site but not attending lessons.
- Yes
- No
- Not applicable
Notes
Consider appropriate support for lesson absence
Response required
Where within-day absence patterns or pupils on site but not attending lessons are identified, consider whether pastoral, SEND or behaviour support is appropriate and record the follow-up required.
Findings, support considered and follow-up
Review pupils with long-term illnesses or SEND
Regularly review attendance data for pupils with long-term illnesses and/or special educational needs or disabilities, using the data available to the school.
- Yes
- No
- Not applicable
Notes
Record support needs for pupils with long-term illnesses or SEND
Response required
Record any attendance patterns, barriers or additional support needs identified for pupils with long-term illnesses and/or SEND, without including unnecessary personal information.
Summary of findings and support needs
Include relevant governance oversight
Response required
Where applicable to the school's arrangements, include the attendance data review in governing-body or board oversight and record the meeting or reporting route used.
Governance or board oversight route
Consider the Targeting Support Meeting route
Response required
Where applicable to the school's arrangements, consider the relevant Targeting Support Meeting with the local authority and record whether attendance data or support needs should be raised.
Meeting consideration and matters to raise
Decide whether to use external comparison
Decide whether the school will use the View Your Education Data tool to compare attendance data and help identify where intervention may be most needed.
Choose one
- Use the tool
- Do not use the tool for this review
- Decision not yet made
Record any external comparison
Response required
If the school chose to use the View Your Education Data tool, record the comparison undertaken and how it informed consideration of intervention. If it was not used, record that no external comparison was undertaken.
Comparison undertaken or reason not used
Identify interventions
Response required
Identify any attendance interventions arising from the review, including the pupils or cohorts concerned, the intended action and the responsible person or team.
Interventions, affected pupils or cohorts, owner and next action
Record referrals or partner support
Response required
Record any referral to, or planned involvement of, other partners where additional support is considered necessary.
Referral or partner support, if any
Set review actions
Response required
Record the actions, owners and review arrangements arising from this checklist, using the school's chosen monitoring arrangements.
Action, owner and review arrangement