SCHOOLS and parents across the conurbation are being given more guidance on how to improve pupil attendance.

Handbooks for schools and “targeted help” for families are amongst the actions being taken to tighten up attendance.

It comes as 164 fines were issued to parents for unauthorised absences across Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole in the 2021/2022 to academic year.

BCP Council said they school attendance was a “high priority” of theirs, and that they were doing ‘all they can’ to address absence.

Their spokesperson said: “High attendance is beneficial to well-being, educational outcomes and happiness for children and young people.

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“In recent years, chasing persistent absence, whilst a priority, has been hampered by problems such as the Covid pandemic, which has also created additional anxiety within families and communities.

“We recognise the importance of supporting families through difficult times and we will continue to engage with parents and children to fully understand each individual circumstance.

“We are doing all we can to identify and address persistent absence and to encourage those in vulnerable families to attend school.”

Support is also being given nationwide by the Department for Education (DfE), who published a new guidance for schools in May this year.

The handbook, titled ‘Working together to improve school attendance’, aims to set out the ‘best practice’ for schools.

A spokesperson for DfE said: “School is the best place for children to be, which is why our new attendance guidance sets out clear best practice for how schools can support pupils and families, making sure schools take a consistent approach right across the country.

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“We expect schools to have sensitive conversations with pupils and families about their needs, and work with families to offer targeted help where they can to encourage regular attendance.

"Fines for parents should only be used as a last resort, where there is no valid reason for a child’s absence.”

Also in May, DfE announced that more than £17 million would be spent on improving mental health support in schools and colleges, after seeing its contribution to pupil absences.

Then, in September, DfE launched a three-year 1-2-1 attendance mentoring pilot in September, aimed at tackling possible factors behind non-attendance such as bullying or mental health issues.

It was launched Middlesbrough this year, but DfE has plans to expand it to other areas of the country next year.