Persistent and severe absence monitoring checklist
- Version
- v1
- Updated
- 7 October 2026
- Reviewed
- 7 October 2026
- Who this checklist is for
- Attendance leads, designated senior leaders, governing bodies and trustees in maintained and academy primary and secondary schools in England, including relevant trust staff where the school operates within a multi-academy trust.
- Jurisdiction
- england
13 checklist steps
Blank response areas · preview only
Define the review period
Response required
Record the attendance data period covered by this review and the date on which the review is undertaken.
Data period and review date
Confirm the data source
Response required
Record the attendance management information system, report or other source used for this review.
System, report or source
Review both absence patterns
Review patterns of both persistent and severe absence as part of the school's regular attendance data monitoring.
- Yes
- No
- Not applicable
Notes
Record persistent absence data
Response required
Record the reported number or percentage of pupils identified as persistently absent for the review period, using the terminology and calculation applied in the school's attendance data.
Reported figure and whether it is a number or percentage
Record severe absence data
Response required
Record the reported number or percentage of pupils identified as severely absent for the review period, using the terminology and calculation applied in the school's attendance data.
Reported figure and whether it is a number or percentage
Identify affected pupils and cohorts
Response required
Identify individual pupils and cohorts requiring targeted attendance support as quickly as possible. Record the relevant year groups, characteristics, groups or other cohort descriptions and the evidence supporting their identification.
Pupils or cohorts identified and supporting evidence
Prioritise targeted support
Response required
Record which identified pupils or cohorts require action first and the reason for that prioritisation, without applying an unsupported threshold.
Priority pupils or cohorts and rationale
Record support actions or referrals
Response required
Record the support action, referral or further assessment decided for each priority pupil or cohort, including the responsible role and any review point where one has been set.
Action or referral, responsible role and review point
Check the school attendance improvement strategy
Response required
Check whether both persistent and severe absence are addressed in the school's attendance improvement strategy. Record the relevant section or record the gap requiring review.
Strategy section or gap identified
Check trust-level strategy where relevant
Response required
If the school operates within a multi-academy trust, check whether both persistent and severe absence are addressed in the relevant trust-level attendance improvement strategy. If this is not applicable, record that it was not reviewed.
Trust strategy section, gap identified, or not applicable
Record strategy decisions
Response required
Record any decision to amend, maintain or further review the relevant attendance improvement strategy, including the decision owner and supporting evidence.
Decision, owner and supporting evidence
Record escalation or external referral
Response required
Record any escalation or referral to another service, agency, local authority or trust function arising from the review, or record that no escalation or referral was identified.
Escalation or referral details, or none identified
Record follow-up
Response required
Record the next monitoring activity, the person responsible and any information needed to determine whether the recorded actions have been progressed.
Next monitoring activity, responsible person and required information