Head teachers should ensure that a clear policy on attendance is in place, which is known to staff, pupils and parents. The policy should be reviewed periodically and staff, pupils and parents should be reminded of its contents.

There are many reasons why pupils miss school without permission. Conversely, there is no one solution to the problem of absenteeism. Head teachers should consider the initiative that is best for their school, taking into account the pupil's individual circumstances. For example setting reward schemes, such as certificates, school trips and breakfast clubs. Other helpful initiatives include:

• Implementing first day contact with parents of children who are absent from school without prior knowledge
• Encouraging attendance checks, scheduled or unscheduled, which is effective in monitoring post registration truancy
• Having a senior member of staff responsible for attendance
• Pupil passes confirming authority to be out of school (helpful in Truancy Watch areas).

Benefits of a whole school approach to tackling absenteeism are:

• Responsibility for promoting school attendance is shared by everyone in the school, rather than being left to particular individuals or groups
• Developing an attendance policy touches all aspects of a school's life and relates directly to the school's values, ethos and curriculum
• Opportunities arise for cost-effective networking and joint training involving groups of schools or different professional groups
• Rigorous collection and analysis of data about attendance enables schools to check their progress against measurable outcomes.
• If a pupil is absent without explanation when the register, manual or electronic is called, school staff should contact the parents the same day wherever possible. A declared policy of first day contact makes it clear to pupils and parents that absence is a matter of concern and will be followed up.