Forward
Every child and young person in Lincolnshire deserves the opportunity to achieve, thrive and realise their potential. Central to this is regular school attendance. Being in school not only supports academic success but also promotes wellbeing, builds resilience, and provides the foundations for positive future life chances.
This Attendance Strategy sets out our renewed commitment to improving school attendance across Lincolnshire. It builds on the strong progress made in recent years, where the majority of our children attend well and benefit from safe, inclusive and high-quality education. However, we recognise that for some children and young people, attending school remains a challenge. Absence is often a symptom of wider need, and behind every absence is a child who may require greater understanding, support and coordination from the adults and services around them.
We are clear that improving attendance is not the responsibility of schools alone. It requires a shared commitment from families, schools, local authority services and partners across health, social care and the community. This strategy reinforces our ‘support first’ approach, ensuring that barriers to attendance are identified early and addressed through coordinated, child-centred support. At the same time, we remain committed to fulfilling our statutory duties, using enforcement proportionately where all other avenues have been exhausted.
Lincolnshire has strong foundations to build upon. Our attendance rates continue to compare favourably to national averages, and our collaborative approach - recognised by the Department for Education and Ofsted, has already demonstrated the impact of effective partnership working. This strategy takes this further by strengthening our use of data, targeting support for the most vulnerable children, and embedding attendance as a core component of safeguarding and inclusion.
Importantly, this strategy reflects a wider ambition: to ensure that every child feels a sense of belonging in their school and community. When children feel safe, valued and supported, they are far more likely to attend, engage and succeed. By working together, we can remove barriers, build trust with families, and create the conditions where attendance is seen not just as an expectation, but as a shared priority.
We would like to thank schools, academies, early years providers, partner organisations and families for their continued commitment to improving attendance. Together, we can ensure that every child in Lincolnshire is supported to access their education fully and to benefit from all the opportunities it provides.