Attendance in Scottish schools - promotion and management: CRWIA

Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment front sheet

Policy/measure

A general description of the policy/measure

Included Engaged and Involved Part 1: A Positive Approach to the Promotion and Management of Attendance in Scottish Schools

This refreshed document provides guidance to schools and local authorities on how to promote engagement and motivation, including among those who may be at risk of poor attendance.

Project initiation document

Add link to the document

https://www.gov.scot/publications/included-engaged-involved-part-1-positive-approach-promotion-management-attendance-scottish-schools/ 

Initiating department

The responsible team or division. If this is a cross-cutting policy, name the team that has overall responsibility

Support & Wellbeing team and Rights Support and Wellbeing, Education Scotland

Policy aims

What the policy or measure is trying to achieve; what are the expected outcomes

It is expected that this document will provide guidance to local authorities, who in turn should incorporate this into their own policies, with the aim of improving attendance and sustaining high levels of attendance.

Timetable

What is the time frame for a policy announcement/ consultation/ implementation?

National Working Group meeting April 2018

Draft document - January 2019

Engagement sessions across Scotland led by Scottish Government and Education Scotland with local authorities/schools  - February 2019

Draft and final version agreed May 2019

Publication 14 June 2019

Date 27 November 2020

Signature Sam Anson, Deputy Director, Learning Directorate

CRWIA Stage 1

Screening - key questions

(Hyperlink will only work within SG)

1. Name the policy, and describe its overall aims.

Included, Engaged and Involved Part 1: A Positive Approach to the Promotion and Management of Attendance in Scottish Schools

This refreshed document provides guidance to schools and local authorities on how to promote engagement and motivation, including among those who may be at risk of poor attendance, with the aim of helping local authorities to improve overall attendance, and manage poor attendance. 

2.  What aspects of the policy/measure will affect children and young people up to the age of 18?

All aspects of the refreshed policy will affect children and young people up to the age of 18. 

Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) is the national approach in Scotland to improving outcomes and supporting the wellbeing of our children and young people. GIRFEC describes children and young people’s wellbeing in terms of eight Wellbeing Indicators; safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible, and included. These are the basic requirements for all children and young people to grow, develop and reach their full potential. The GIRFEC Wellbeing Indicators provide a common language so that children, young people, families and practitioners (such as teachers, school nurses and youth workers) have a shared understanding of what is meant by wellbeing. The GIRFEC National Practice Model provides a framework for practitioners to understand a child or young person’s needs, and consider what support they might need.

The Articles of the UNCRC and the wellbeing indicators under the Children and Young People (Scotland) 2014 apply to all children and young people up to the age of 18, including non-citizen and undocumented children and young people. 

3. What likely impact – direct or indirect – will the policy/measure have on children and young people?

The policy will have a direct impact on children and young people as it provides a stronger focus on approaches that can be used to ensure that attendance at school is clearly linked to the overall approaches to promoting positive relationships and behaviour and ensuring all children and young people are included, engaged and involved in their education.

4. Which groups of children and young people will be affected?

Under the UNCRC, ‘children’ can refer to: individual children, groups of children, or children in general. Some groups of children will relate to the groups with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010: disability, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation. ‘Groups’ can also refer to children by age band or setting, or those who are eligible for special protection or assistance: e.g. preschool children, children in hospital, children in rural areas, looked after children, young people who offend, victims of abuse or exploitation, child migrants, or children living in poverty.

5. Will this require a CRWIA?

Yes, as the refreshed policy will have a direct impact on children and young people by contributing to and improving their wellbeing.

CRWIA Declaration

Tick relevant section, and complete the form.

CRWIA required

CRWIA not required - x

Authorisation:-

Policy lead

Iain Mitchell

Policy officer

Support and Wellbeing Team

Learning Directorate

Date November 2020

Deputy Director or equivalent

Sam Anson

Deputy Director

Learning Directorate

DG: Education, Communities and Justice

Date 27 November 2020

CRWIA Stage 2

The CRWIA – key questions

(Hyperlinks will only work within SG)

1. Which UNCRC Articles are relevant to the policy/measure?

List all relevant Articles of the UNCRC and Optional Protocols. 

All UNCRC rights are underpinned by the four general principles: non-discrimination; the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and development; and the child’s right to have their views given due weight.

Article 2 - All rights apply to all children without discrimination and children should be protected from discrimination

Article 3 – In all actions concerning children, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration

Article 6 – Every child has the right to life, survival and development

Article 12 – Every child who is capable of forming their own views has the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting them

Article 29 – Children have the right to an education that is directed to ‘the development of the child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential

2. What impact will the policy/measure will have on children’s rights?

It is not anticipated that this guidance will have any negative impact on children’s rights.  The policy is underpinned by children’s rights, therefore it is assessed that the policy will have a positive impact on children’s rights.

3. Will there be different impacts on different groups of children and young people?

This guidance is aimed at promoting good attendance, therefore all groups of children and young people will be impacted. This guidance should be particularly effective with those who are at risk of poor/non-attendance in schools.  It is not anticipated that there will be any negative impact.

4. If a negative impact is assessed for any area of rights or any group of children and young people, what options have you considered to modify the proposal, or mitigate the impact?

N/A

5. How will the policy/measure contribute to the wellbeing of children and young people in Scotland?

When children and young people are attending school, this allows schools to fully engage and allow children and young people to access the services that they may require to ensure that all of the SHANARRI (Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible, Included) wellbeing indicators are met.  Absence whatever the cause, disrupts and affects learning, and this guidance aims to help schools to encourage and maintain good attendance in schools.

6. How will the policy/measure give better or further effect to the implementation of the UNCRC in Scotland?

This will inform Scottish Ministers’ duty to report to Parliament on children’s rights under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. 

7. What evidence have you used to inform your assessment? What does it tell you?

Scottish Government statistics on attendance and absence rates were carefully considered in this assessment along with various academic research documents. The guidance, recognising the impact of poor attendance on attainment, peer relationships; emotional and behavioural difficulties and poorer employment opportunities in future life.  The evidence is clear, the implementation of this guidance at local authority and school level will have a positive outcome for all children and young people.

8. Have you consulted with relevant stakeholders?

The views of stakeholders were gathered at 3 engagement events, and representatives of key stakeholder groups were also closely involved in the drafting of the document.  Over 150 delegates took part in the engagement sessions, and all the comments received were carefully considered prior to publication.

9. Have you involved children and young people in the development of the policy/measure?

A representative from the Scottish Youth Parliament was part of the working group, and many parents also commented on the document at the engagement sessions, and representatives from the National Parent Forum of Scotland also sat on the working group.  However, the guidance is primarily aimed at local authorities, who in turn would adopt this into their local policies.  It is anticipated that children and young people will be closely involved in this process, which will take into account the local needs of their children and young people.