Remote education and attendance – an update for schools
Schools and local authorities work tirelessly to support students who struggle with regular attendance and engagement. We are proud that so many brilliant leaders and educators choose to use Academy21 for their students who need it most – those with additional needs and significant challenges. From conversations with colleagues across the country, we have noted a renewed focus on the topic of attendance at the start of the academic year.
The latest “Working Together to Improve School Attendance” guidance, published by the Department of Education in August 2024, has updated expectations around attendance support and reporting. Academy21 wholly supports the aim to keep students connected with school and learning. This update outlines how to use online education effectively and appropriately.
There has been clarification of ‘Code B: Attending any other approved educational activity’ and the expected coding for remote education. This applies to all providers of online education, whether DfE accredited and utilising live teaching like Academy21 or unregistered online provision.
The guidelines state that remote education should be recorded ‘using the most appropriate absence code’. To reassure schools, the DfE has shared in a sector update that, “this does not prevent schools using remote learning if it’s in the pupil’s best interest”. Schools must use the most appropriate absence code, including authorised absence. Of course, students using online education and supervised physically in school would be marked as ‘present’.
Additionally, we know from schools and local authority partners that whilst their priority is face-to-face attendance, the DfE is clear schools can continue to use remote education in line with their guidance, and that the department recognises the value of remote education for students who would not otherwise be able to access education.
Importantly, the DfE’s Sector Comms webinar makes clear that schools ‘…won’t be looked on unfavourably for having the correct absence codes. This important recognition means schools can be confident in choosing remote education when appropriate for their students, knowing the DfE has made clear that, under a support-first approach, the focus of support should be on the student’s best interest, not what is recorded in the attendance register.
We have written more about the role of remote education here to assist our schools and local authorities, showing how remote learning can be an essential tool to meet the expectations around support for students with medical needs, special educational needs (SEN), or mental health challenges.
To assist schools in monitoring pupil engagement, the Academy21 platform offers daily reporting on students’ effort, understanding, and engagement, alongside attendance alerts and regular feedback. This enables our clients to monitor students effectively and assess the impact of online alternative provision on their students’ learning.
Academy21 is accredited by the DfE and, with the assurances above, our partners can confidently use online AP if they feel it is in a student’s best interests.
Ultimately, our focus as a sector remains on providing every student with the academic and wellbeing support they deserve, as well as the full recognition of their learning regardless of where that takes place. At Academy21, this is our approach every day.
