Education Welfare Service
The London Borough of Bexley has an aspiration for all our residents to live the best lives possible and to reach their full potential. For children and young people this includes having the best possible start to life and acting in the best interests of the children of Bexley.
Bexley’s Education Welfare Service (EWS) works closely with schools to provide advice, guidance, and support in removing barriers to attendance and supporting children and young people in accessing education. The service aims to raise the attendance of pupils across Bexley and reduce the number of children who are identified as persistently or severely absent. The Department for Education class persistently absent as any young person with attendance under 90 percent.
Below are some interesting stats which highlight the areas of concern and hours of learning lost.
| Descriptor | Threshold attendance | Actual attendance | Whole days of absence | Learning hours lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent | 100% | 190 days | 0 | 0 |
| 99% | 188 days | 2 | 10 | |
| Good | 98% | 186 days | 4 | 20 |
| 97% | 184 days | 6 | 30 | |
| 96% | 182.5 days | 7.5 | 37.5 | |
| Cause for concern | 95% | 180.5 days | 9.5 | 47.5 |
| 94% | 179 days | 11 | 55 | |
| 93% | 177 days | 13 | 65 | |
| 92% | 175 days | 15 | 75 | |
| 91% | 173 days | 17 | 85 | |
| Unsatisfactory | 90% | 171 days | 19 | 95 |
| 89% | 169 days | 21 | 105 | |
| 88% | 167 days | 23 | 115 | |
| 87% | 165 days | 25 | 125 | |
| Serious cause for concern | 86% | 163 days | 27 | 135 |
| Critical | 85% | 161.5 days | 28.5 | 142.5 |
| 84% | 159.5 days | 30.5 | 152.5 | |
| 83% | 158 days | 32 | 160 | |
| 82% | 156 days | 34 | 170 | |
| 81% | 154 days | 36 | 180 | |
| 80% | 152 days | 38 | 190 |
All schools and Local Authorities are required to address attendance in accordance with the Department for Education guidance ‘working together to improve school attendance’.
Schools can choose how they address the early intervention work as required within the guidance. Some schools use Bexley Education Welfare Service, some use independent attendance companies and some employ staff in-house.
If you are worried about your child’s attendance, we would suggest you speak to the school first.
Bexley EWS can provide advice on the law and DfE guidance. Even if we do not provide a service to the school that your child attends you can still ask Bexley EWS for advice.
Please email educationwelfare@bexley.gov.uk or call 0203 045 4023/4351.
Bexley EWS also issue Fixed Penalty Notices (including for holidays taken during term time). The Department for Education criteria for issue has changed and the FPN amounts have increased in accordance with the DfE changes as from 19 August 2024.
Further information on the Fixed Penalty Notice process with regards to absence will be in your child’s school attendance policy and can also be found within the Department for Education guidance on working together to improve school attendance.
Bexley’s code of conduct/protocol for the issue of FPNs in accordance with the latest DfE guidance can be found below.