School attendance problems aren't always caused by a lack of motivation. Sometimes they're caused by barriers that build up throughout a pupil's day.
In this solo episode of Headship After Hours, Paul Collin introduces the idea of attendance friction and challenges headteachers to look beyond attendance percentages to understand why pupils struggle to get through the school gate.
A pupil might be anxious about an unfinished homework task, worried about being late, struggling with transport or concerned about how adults will respond when they return after an absence.
Individually, these may seem like small problems. Together, they can make attending school feel overwhelming.
Paul explores:
Why attendance data doesn't always reveal the real barriers
How small difficulties accumulate into persistent absence
Why attendance letters and rewards don't solve every problem
The importance of the school gate, reception and first lesson
How to conduct an attendance friction audit
Why vulnerable pupils experience school systems differently
How school leaders can remove barriers without lowering expectations
Why better attendance strategies begin with understanding the pupil's experience
A practical challenge for your SLT:
Choose five pupils whose attendance is declining. Map their journey from the previous evening through to the first 30 minutes of the school day.
Where is attendance becoming harder than it needs to be?
Because improving attendance isn't always about pushing harder. Sometimes it's about removing the barriers that make getting to school difficult.
Paul also discusses the Attendance Advantage programme and the Senior Attendance and Leadership Resilience Check for schools seeking strategic support.
Find out more through the links in the show notes.
🎙️ Headship After Hours with Paul Collin — practical reflections on school leadership, attendance and creating schools where pupils can thrive.
00:00 – The Attendance Problem That Isn't About Attendance
00:51 – How Small Barriers Become Big Problems
02:18 – Why Attendance Strategies Can Miss the Real Issue
02:39 – How to Conduct an Attendance Friction Audit
03:38 – Why More Letters and Rewards May Not Work
05:40 – Remove Barriers Without Lowering Expectations
06:26 – Why Vulnerable Pupils Experience More Friction
07:09 – The Five-Pupil Attendance Exercise
07:51 – Why Small Changes Can Improve Attendance
08:11 – Attendance Advantage: Finding the Real Barriers
