Before Christmas, Ofsted warned schools not to use part-time timetables to manage pupils’ behaviour.
Although local authorities may well collect details of pupils on part-time timetables within their area, I’m not aware of any national data showing how many pupils might be affected.
With this in mind, I’ve tried to use attendance data to estimate the scale of the issue.
Statutory guidance on recording attendance in schools’ registers provides a list of different codes that schools should use in particular circumstances. These are recorded for each pupil for each session (morning and afternoon registration each day).
However, there is no code specifically for part-time timetables.
Many local authorities (such as Birmingham) advise the use of Code C (authorised leave of absence) for school sessions pupils are not expected to attend.
