Pizza parties and iPads are being offered to pupils as incentives to improve school attendance, according to a new report which says sanctions alone are less likely to work.
While some schools in England are using fines, detentions and letters home to crack down on absence, others prefer a rewards-based approach, with prize draws for bikes and iPads, trips and “praise stamps” which pupils collect then trade in for chocolates or stationery.
Another incentive being used is a ticket for the school prom for pupils in year 11, with attendance a key criterion for being allowed to attend.
The study by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) found schools that combined rewards with sanctions reported seeing higher pupil engagement with attendance policies.
“Pupils in these schools appeared to be motivated to attend, as they saw a tangible benefit to doing so,” the report said.
“In contrast, those in sanctions-led schools were more likely to perceive attendance policies as punitive and unfair, particularly if they felt their absences were due to circumstances beyond their control.”
School absence has been a key concern for the government since attendance plummeted after the disruption caused by the pandemic. According to the NFER study, illness, mental health challenges and term-time holidays were common causes of absence.
Latest figures published by the Department for Education revealed the number of pupils who were “severely absent” in England reached a record high last year and unauthorised absences also increased in total.
The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has backed the use of parental fines for non-attendance, which increased from £60 to £80 in September, but in an interview with the Guardian, the actor Anna Maxwell Martin described them as “cruel and idiotic”.
Matt Walker, NFER senior research manager and co-author of the report, said: “Attendance is strongly linked to educational outcomes, so it’s concerning that absence rates remain high.
“The study responses suggest schools should consider prioritising encouraging and individualised approaches in addition to punitive sanctions.”
The study, Voices from the Classroom – understanding how secondary schools support pupils returning from absence, is based on a survey of 600 secondary school teachers and leaders in England, as well as face-to-face interviews with staff and pupils in nine state-funded secondary schools.
Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The message is clear: fines, punitive action and bribery are not working.
“More students are struggling with anxiety and unmet SEND [special educational needs and disabilities] needs leading to increased absence, and fewer are getting the individual support, specialist input and pastoral backup they need to return to and remain in school.”
Pepe Di’Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Appropriate rewards and sanctions have their part to play, but individualised support that quickly identifies why a pupil is absent from school, and helps them to return to the classroom as soon as possible, can be hugely effective.”
Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: “These findings echo what school leaders tell us about the severe limitations of parental fines in improving pupil attendance.”
