Pizzas, iPads and reward stamps: pupils reap rewards for attending college | Schooling

Pizza events and iPads are being provided to pupils as incentives to enhance college attendance, in keeping with a brand new report which says sanctions alone are much less prone to work.

Whereas some colleges in England are utilizing fines, detentions and letters dwelling to crack down on absence, others choose a rewards-based strategy, with prize attracts for bikes and iPads, journeys and “reward stamps” which pupils gather then commerce in for goodies or stationery.

One other incentive getting used is a ticket for the college promenade for pupils in yr 11, with attendance a key criterion for being allowed to attend.

The examine by the Nationwide Basis for Instructional Analysis (NFER) discovered colleges that mixed rewards with sanctions reported seeing greater pupil engagement with attendance insurance policies.

“Pupils in these colleges gave the impression to be motivated to attend, as they noticed a tangible profit to doing so,” the report stated.

“In distinction, these in sanctions-led colleges had been extra prone to understand attendance insurance policies as punitive and unfair, notably in the event that they felt their absences had been on account of circumstances past their management.”

College absence has been a key concern for the federal government since attendance plummeted after the disruption brought on by the pandemic. In response to the NFER examine, sickness, psychological well being challenges and term-time holidays had been frequent causes of absence.

Newest figures revealed by the Division for Schooling revealed the variety of pupils who had been “severely absent” in England reached a file excessive final yr and unauthorised absences additionally elevated in complete.

The training secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has backed using parental fines for non-attendance, which elevated from £60 to £80 in September, however in an interview with the Guardian, the actor Anna Maxwell Martin described them as “merciless and idiotic”.

Matt Walker, NFER senior analysis supervisor and co-author of the report, stated: “Attendance is strongly linked to instructional outcomes, so it’s regarding that absence charges stay excessive.

“The examine responses recommend colleges ought to contemplate prioritising encouraging and individualised approaches along with punitive sanctions.”

The examine, Voices from the Classroom – understanding how secondary colleges help pupils getting back from absence, relies on a survey of 600 secondary college lecturers and leaders in England, in addition to face-to-face interviews with workers and pupils in 9 state-funded secondary colleges.

Daniel Kebede, the overall secretary of the Nationwide Schooling Union, stated: “The message is obvious: fines, punitive motion and bribery will not be working.

“Extra college students are combating anxiousness and unmet SEND [special educational needs and disabilities] wants resulting in elevated absence, and fewer are getting the person help, specialist enter and pastoral backup they should return to and stay at school.”

Pepe Di’Iasio, the overall secretary of the Affiliation of College and Faculty Leaders, stated: “Acceptable rewards and sanctions have their half to play, however individualised help that rapidly identifies why a pupil is absent from college, and helps them to return to the classroom as quickly as doable, might be vastly efficient.”

Paul Whiteman, the overall secretary of the Nationwide Affiliation of Head Academics, stated: “These findings echo what college leaders inform us in regards to the extreme limitations of parental fines in enhancing pupil attendance.”