• Services and Support
• Pupil attendance
• • Allocation of EWS staff and services
  • Attendance Data
  • Education otherwise than at school
  • EWS Quality Standards
  • Fixed Penalty Notices
  • Guidance for schools
  • Referrals to EWS
  • Statutory action for non-school attendance
  • Strategy and partnership
  • Truancy watch

Allocation of EWS staff and services

The Education Welfare Service maintains its priority and distinct role in seeking to raise pupil attendance.

The allocation of basic grade staff across the service in 2004-05 across services:

Primary 2.9 fte EWOs (32% of service)
Secondary 5.0 fte EWOs (56% of service)
Special 0.2 fte EWOs (2% of service)
Pupil Referral Units 0.4 fte EWOs (4% of service)
Out-borough pupils 0.5 fte EWOs (6% of service)

Total 9 fte

There is additional funding received from a variety of sources including Standards Fund, Behaviour Improvement Programme and the KS3 strategy. Also a number of secondary schools purchase additional EWS services.

Team Managers
Each EWO is supported by a Team Manager, schools will come into contact with these post holders in a number of ways, i.e. through Non-Attendance Planning Meetings and advice and intervention on complex cases. This is an additional, and at times direct resource, to that provided by the schools allocated EWO.

Services provided to Primary and Special Schools
The service is delivered in the main through schools, each school having a named Education Welfare Officer (EWO), who will agree a regular programme of visits to the school to discuss referrals and actions in relation to both individual pupil attendance and whole school raising attendance plans.

All schools have a named EWO who visits at least ½ termly to:

Enhanced service to primary and secondary schools
Some schools are allocated additional support based on need, using the most recent DfES absence returns, there are two bands of support. Band 1 schools receive 1 day a week of additional EWO support, Band 2 schools receive ½ day a week.

Menu of additional support
In the case of schools allocated additional levels of support, it is proposed to offer:

Joint assessment / audit of action required to reduce absence

and , following discussion with the school based on the above assessment/audit, options for action including:

Developing school procedures & policies.
Attendance target setting.
Specific attendance projects
Attendance literature to parents / translations.
Reward systems
Community support
Training for school staff.

and/or

Additional casework.

Special School allocation
The 0.2 fte EWO allocation to Special Schools is covered by one named EWO. Each Special School has specific and unique needs for EWS resources; these will be addressed on a school by school basis.

Pupil Referral Unit allocation
There is a specific allocation of 0.4fte EWO resources to the Pupil Referral Units. This is covered by one named member of staff who works across the Key Stage 3 and 4 PRUs and by individual EWOs with pupils attending the primary PRU. Additionally there is a named EWS Manager for each PRU.
In some circumstances, particularly where the pupil also remains on the roll of the school as well as the PRU, the EWO for the original school will continue to support the pupil.

Out borough school (Islington residents) allocation
In 2004-05 Islington EWS moved to being responsible for non-attendance of pupils who are registered at Islington schools regardless of their address, unless otherwise agreed.
This is a transition year as it is recognised that it would not be good practice to block transfer all cases. Agreements will be made between EWSs on a case by case basis.
Islington EWS and part of an EWO’s post will remain responsible for those pupils who have been permanently excluded from out of borough schools and require an educational placement. 

Services provided to Secondary Schools

Secondary Allocation
Secondary schools have been allocated staff under three principles:
a) roll numbers;
b) all schools to have minimum of 0.45 fte EWO;
c) additional support where school has high absence

Generally the service standards and referral issues as described below for primary schools apply to secondary schools. However, as EWOs work as part of pastoral teams within secondary schools for longer periods of time, agreements are reached with individual schools on working priorities and relationships between the EWS and schools.

In addition, a number of secondary schools purchase additional EWO time to allow for a ‘school based’ model of delivery.

See Allocation of EWOs to schools list

Letter to Headteachers outlining EWS Service

For more information please contact either:

Sue Greenwell
Senior Education Welfare Service Team Manager
Laycock Street
London    N1 1TH
Tel: 020 7527 5621
e-mail: sue.greenwell.cea@islington.gov.uk

or

Ian Norman-Bruce
Head of EW&SWS
CEA@Islington
Lough Road
London
N7 8RH
Tel: 020 7527 5843
E-Mail: ian.norman-bruce.cea@islington.gov.uk