Post-16 attendance and participation: An evaluation of attendance, participation and provider practice across Wales

Executive Summary

This report considers attendance and participation among full-time learners aged 16 to 19 in further education (FE) colleges and school sixth forms across Wales. We define attendance as the learner’s presence in a timetabled session, either in person or online. We recognise that they may continue to participate in their learning in other ways. It considers patterns in attendance, the factors that influence low attendance and the effectiveness of approaches to improving attendance.

The report draws on evidence from virtual visits conducted online with colleges and schools across Wales, discussions with learners and staff, survey responses and analysis of available attendance data. The review found that there is currently no consistent national approach to measuring or reporting post-16 attendance. As a result, attendance figures are not fully comparable across providers and, in some cases, headline attendance data does not accurately reflect learners’ physical presence in lessons. These inconsistencies reduce the usefulness of attendance data for benchmarking, self-evaluation and improvement planning.

Over the last three years, providers’ data suggested that learners attended around 80% of timetabled lessons across post-16 provision. This is well below the attendance expectations set by providers and indicates that attendance remains a concern across both school sixth forms and further education colleges.

Attendance patterns varied more by course level, year group and type of provision than by subject area. Attendance was stronger in Year 12 and on higher-level courses, including A-levels and Level 3 vocational programmes, and weaker in Entry Level, Level 1 and compulsory provision such as resit provision for GCSE English and mathematics or Welsh Baccalaureate sessions. Learners were more likely to attend lessons they viewed as relevant to their future progression, while timetabling issues, including long gaps between lessons, also affected attendance for a minority of learners.

In many providers, leaders had begun to strengthen their use of attendance data by distinguishing more clearly between attendance and participation, analysing patterns and trends more closely and linking attendance information to wider learner progress and well-being data. However, a minority of providers do not analyse attendance data rigorously enough, particularly when considering groups of learners. This limits their ability to evaluate the impact of interventions and identify emerging patterns in poor attendance.

There were a range of factors contributing to lower attendance. These included reported increases in learner emotional well-being concerns, transport difficulties, financial pressures and part-time employment. Learners frequently described these challenges in practical terms, including unreliable or expensive transport, balancing employment alongside study and difficulties returning to regular attendance routines following periods of absence. These factors rarely occurred in isolation and providers generally recognised that improving attendance requires flexible and individualised support, often involving collaboration with families, external agencies and wider support services.

Evidence from learner discussions and provider visits suggested that attendance is closely linked to learners’ enjoyment of their courses. Where teaching is effective and stimulated learners’ engagement, they were more likely to attend regularly. Learners also valued providers where staff knew them well, responded quickly to concerns and provided flexible support where appropriate.

Most providers set suitable expectations around attendance. However, there was too much variation in how consistently these expectations were implemented, monitored and reinforced. In the strongest practice, leaders maintained high expectations through systematic monitoring, timely intervention and clear accountability arrangements.

Providers had begun to strengthen approaches to promoting attendance, including a supportive and individualised response to poor attendance. A notable strength across most providers was the emergence and development of specialist support roles such as pastoral, progress and learner coaches and the adoption of ‘team around the learner’ approaches. Where these arrangements were well established, they supported earlier identification of attendance concerns, more co‑ordinated intervention and stronger communication with learners and families.

Most providers recognised a strong relationship between attendance, participation and learner outcomes. Higher attendance was commonly associated with stronger attainment, retention and progression. While providers increasingly recognised that learners may continue to engage with learning remotely or through online platforms during periods of absence, this was seen as a temporary or exceptional arrangement linked to individual learner circumstances. Providers consistently emphasised that regular attendance provides more than academic benefit. It supports learners’ social development, access to specialist teaching, development of professional behaviours and readiness for employment or higher education.