Pupils at various schools in England are being lured to class with enticing rewards, including pizza parties and iPads, as part of a push to improve attendance rates. This strategy marks a shift from solely punitive measures, such as fines, to more incentive-based approaches.
The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) conducted a study revealing that schools that combined rewards with sanctions had the most success in encouraging students to attend classes regularly. The tangible benefits of improved attendance seem to motivate pupils.
However, according to the report, students in schools that primarily focused on penalties may view attendance policies as unduly punitive, especially if they feel their absences are justified.
School absence remains a significant concern following the attendance drop caused by the pandemic. The NFER study pointed out that illness, mental health challenges, and term-time holidays are common reasons for absences.
While the Department for Education reported a record high in the number of “severely absent” students and an increase in unauthorised absences, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson supports increasing parental fines from £60 to £80. Contrarily, actor Anna Maxwell Martin has called for the end of these fines, describing them as “cruel and idiotic.”
Matt Walker, a senior research manager at NFER, emphasized the strong link between attendance and educational outcomes, highlighting the importance of individualized and encouraging approaches.
The study is based on a survey of 600 secondary school teachers and leaders in England, along with interviews from nine state-funded secondary schools. Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, posited that fines and bribery are ineffective, and students’ needs for support and specialized input are not being met.
Pepe Di’Iasio from the Association of School and College Leaders and Paul Whiteman from the National Association of Head Teachers both agree that while rewards and sanctions have a role, individualized support is essential for identifying and resolving the reasons behind a pupil’s absence.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/mar/27/ipads-pizzas-praise-stamps-pupils-rewards-boost-school-attendance
