We were delighted to welcome over 100 colleagues to Heartlands to join the conversation to start the journey to 'Transforming Attendance in Cornwall'.

A common theme was the need to 'Create a sense of Belonging' for our children, our staff and our communities.

Marc Rowland, opened the conversation by setting out how we are going to approach 'Transforming Attendance in Cornwall'. Marc stressed that this is the beginning of a piece of work that will continue for the next 2 years. Throughout the day, Marc explored the underlying drivers for poor/inconsistent attendance and the importance of looking behind the data.

We had presentations from:

• Kate Wilkins & Vicky Gordon - 'Affordable schools'
• Emma French - Director of Safeguarding at Bodmin College
• Kaye Haywood - 'Creating Belonging'
• Ellie Baker - 'The lived experience'

'Harnessing our experience and expertise'

Our programme participants engaged in reflective discussions, with a focus on two questions. 

Have we accurately assessed the underlying causes that are impacting on attendance?

Are we using this knowledge and our experience to inform how we respond?

A summary of responses can be found in our resources section.

This will lead to the development of our shared understanding and shared resources for schools to develop implementation plans, attendance strategy audits and an impact evaluation framework.