An Evaluation of Ofsted Reports on LEAs' Management of Attendance Issues

Abstract

This is the first article to analyse and evaluate Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) reports on attendance issues within local authorities. A full cohort of Ofsted reports on local education authorities (LEAs) undertaken in 2003 in England were read, evaluated and used in the preparation of this article. The reports show that most LEAs face considerable scrutiny on attendance issues during the inspection process. The evidence also indicates that while there are some clear improvements in the management and administration of this agenda taking place, much more progress needs to be made within a number of LEAs. One in five LEAs received an `unsatisfactory' or `poor' grading for their management of attendance. These data also indicate that the inspectors now not only scrutinise overall attendance data and levels of authorized and unauthorized absence but also consider some of the reasons and the processes put in place to combat and reduce pupils' absenteeism. For example, they ascertain what individual LEAs are doing to improve attendance. How LEAs are managing this agenda is normally scrutinized in very considerable detail within the reports. The article summarizes both the positive features and major criticisms made by Ofsted during their visit to LEAs in 2003. All the signs are that Ofsted intends to tighten its scrutiny of attendance issues within LEA inspections using the recently revised procedures that will take account of the recommendations in the Children Act (2004).