Ofsted attendance and behaviour: what inspectors look at and what to show

Reviewed by Ben Parnell, former headteacher and trust chief executive. Last reviewed 25 September 2026.

Attendance and behaviour is one of the six evaluation areas graded on every full inspection of a state-funded school under the report card framework in use from September 2026. Inspectors look at two things: whether leaders and staff have created a calm, orderly, respectful and supportive environment, and what impact the school's work has on the attendance, behaviour and attitudes of all pupils. The groups they watch most closely are disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND, those known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those facing other barriers such as young carers. This guide sets out what the toolkit asks, which records you must have ready, and where schools most often come unstuck.

What does the attendance and behaviour area cover?

The toolkit splits evidence gathering into five strands: strategic leadership of attendance and behaviour, attendance, behaviour (including bullying), attitudes to learning, and inclusive approaches to attendance and behaviour. It sits alongside the other evaluation areas and is graded on the same five-point scale, from exceptional through strong standard, expected standard and needs attention to urgent improvement. The report card grades guide explains how that scale works.

Under strategic leadership, inspectors want to see that leaders know their pupils and the influences on them, have high expectations written into clear policies (the toolkit names mobile phones specifically), apply those policies consistently, and use detailed data analysis to "identify, anticipate, prevent and improve" poor attendance and behaviour. They also look for a clear plan and a record of improvement.

Attitudes to learning is easy to overlook. Inspectors consider whether pupils arrive punctually and settle quickly, whether low-level disruption is uncommon, and whether pupils are taught how to study effectively and take pride in their work.

What do inspectors want to see on attendance?

The toolkit asks whether leaders prioritise attendance and punctuality at whole-school level and for different groups, "including for those who are occasionally, persistently and severely absent". Where attendance is not yet good, inspectors look for improvement "towards national averages and the school's pre-pandemic levels". Reaching the national average is not a finishing line: the toolkit says leaders should not stop striving once they get there.

Inspectors also check the mechanics. Attendance and admissions registers should be completed accurately, day-to-day follow-up of absence should be established and effective, and leaders should work with parents, the local authority and other agencies, including the virtual school head.

The DfE's statutory guidance, Working together to improve school attendance (July 2026 edition), defines the thresholds most schools already track. A pupil is persistently absent when they miss 10% or more of school, roughly one day a fortnight across a year. A pupil is severely absent when they miss 50% or more. The same guidance expects every school to have a senior attendance champion on the leadership team with a strong grasp of absence data.

Context counts. Where a significant proportion of pupils join with previously low attendance or after disruption to their education, or have SEND that affects attendance, the toolkit says inspectors recognise the effect on overall attendance and persistent absence rates, and focus on how quickly the school improves attendance for those pupils and sustains it. In early years, inspectors bear in mind that attendance is not compulsory until the start of the term after a child's fifth birthday.

At the expected standard, leaders analyse attendance closely at whole-school and group level, use that analysis to find causes and intervene early, overall attendance is broadly in line with national averages or shows an improving trend, and attendance is improving, including for pupils who are persistently or severely absent.

What do inspectors look for on behaviour and bullying?

The behaviour strand is about routines that are explicitly taught and modelled, staff (teaching and non-teaching) trained to challenge poor behaviour including low-level disruption, and consequences applied "confidently and consistently". Inspectors look at relationships between pupils and staff, and whether bullying, unlawful discrimination, harassment (including sexual harassment) and derogatory language are dealt with quickly.

Two points in the toolkit deserve attention. First, leaders are expected to assume child-on-child violence happens in the community and potentially in school "even in the absence of specific reports", and to have a whole-school approach to it. Second, sanctions, "including isolation, suspension and permanent exclusion", are expected to be used proportionately, and leaders to reintegrate suspended pupils and those returning from off-site direction or alternative provision carefully.

Inspectors must gather evidence about the typical behaviour of all pupils, including those absent on the inspection days. Much of it comes from talking to pupils at the start of the day and at break and lunch, from learning walks with leaders, and from case sampling.

Which records must be ready on day one?

Schools must make the following available by 8am on the first day, under the heading "records and analysis about behaviour and attendance":

an up-to-date analysis of the attendance of all groups of pupils
any pupils taken off roll, with the reasons
suspensions and permanent exclusions, incidents of poor behaviour and any use of internal isolation
information about the school's use of alternative provision
any pupils directed off-site or on managed moves
bullying, harassment, discriminatory or prejudiced behaviour, and any use of derogatory language
any sexual harassment or sexual violence
any restrictive physical intervention

These should be the records you already keep. Ofsted says it does not want documents produced for inspection, and does not need any particular format as long as the information is easily accessible. The operating guide tells inspectors to "avoid auditing paperwork" and to evaluate what leaders understand from their own analysis and what they did as a result. So the analysis matters more than the spreadsheet. The inspection checklist covers the full document list.

How do inspectors treat part-time timetables, alternative provision and off-rolling?

The guidance here is specific, and several findings link directly to urgent improvement grades.

On part-time timetables, inspectors ask why each pupil has one and check there was a plan from the start to return to full time. The operating guide states that a part-time timetable "must not be treated as a long-term solution or used to manage behaviour". Inspectors check that the local authority has been told about any pupil on a part-time timetable who is looked after or has an EHC plan. If a part-time timetable is used inappropriately it may amount to an unlawful suspension, and if a school has suspended a pupil unlawfully, inspectors are told to consider urgent improvement for attendance and behaviour. The DfE guidance adds that part-time timetables should be agreed with parents, reviewed regularly, have a proposed end date, and be recorded in the register, normally with code X or C2.

On alternative provision, inspectors review commissioning agreements for a sample of pupils, establish each pupil's registration status, and plan to visit a sample of providers, prioritising unregistered ones. They look for regular contact and reviews at least half-termly, and the toolkit expects leaders to monitor AP attendance "both daily and over time".

On off-rolling, Ofsted's definition covers removing a pupil from roll, or stopping them attending normally, in the interests of the school rather than the pupil. Managed moves and off-site direction are not off-rolling when genuinely in the pupil's best interests. If inspectors find off-rolling, leadership and governance will likely be graded urgent improvement. The same applies if they reasonably believe a school is recording attendance inaccurately or has changed the timing of registration to game its rates. If leaders deliberately arrange for pupils to be absent because of the inspection, both attendance and behaviour and leadership and governance are likely to be graded urgent improvement. The inclusion guide covers the overlap with SEND and case sampling.

What pushes the grade down?

Needs attention usually reflects inconsistency: sound expectations that are applied unevenly, actions that are appropriate but too recent to show impact, or support for particular groups that is not improving their attendance or behaviour. The urgent improvement indicators include:

no strategic approach to poor attendance, including not monitoring attendance at alternative provision
attendance that is consistently low with little sign of sustained improvement
bullying or discriminatory behaviour that is frequent or tolerated
use of force or restrictive intervention that is excessive or unsafe
sanctions, suspensions or permanent exclusions used inappropriately

What should leaders be ready to show and say?

Inspectors evaluate what leaders understand from their own analysis, so it helps if the leaders they meet can answer these without notes:

Which groups have the lowest attendance, why, and what changed after you intervened.
How many pupils are persistently and severely absent now, compared with this point last year.
Every pupil on a part-time timetable, the reason, and the planned end date.
Every pupil in alternative provision, when their placement was last reviewed, and their attendance there.
The pattern of suspensions and isolation, and what reintegration looks like.
How staff are trained to apply the behaviour policy, and how you know it is applied consistently.

In the planning call, inspectors ask leaders where they believe they sit on the grading scale for each area. An honest view of attendance and behaviour, with the evidence behind it, is more useful than a polished one. The self-evaluation guide and inspection preparation guide go further on this.

Where InspectReady fits in

InspectReady works from your own uploaded evidence to produce a pre-inspection report across the evaluation areas, with document references, and rehearsal questions for the leaders inspectors are likely to meet, including those responsible for behaviour and attendance. If that would be useful, email hello@inspectready.education.

Frequently asked questions

Does Ofsted grade attendance against the national average? The expected standard says overall attendance should be broadly in line with national averages or show an improving trend over time. Where attendance is below average, inspectors look for improvement towards national averages and the school's pre-pandemic levels, and they take account of pupils who join with previously low attendance.

What counts as persistent and severe absence? Under the DfE's Working together to improve school attendance guidance, a pupil who misses 10% or more of school is persistently absent. A pupil who misses 50% or more is severely absent, and the guidance asks all partners to make that group the top priority.

Can we use part-time timetables at all? Yes, in very exceptional circumstances where it is in the pupil's best interests. Inspectors check there is a clear plan to return to full-time education from the outset, and a part-time timetable used to manage behaviour may be treated as an unlawful suspension.

Do we need to produce an attendance report for inspectors? No. You must make an up-to-date analysis of the attendance of all groups of pupils available by 8am on day one, but it can be the analysis you already use. Inspectors are told to avoid auditing paperwork and to focus on what leaders have learned and done.

Will inspectors look at behaviour of pupils who are not in school that day? Yes. The operating guide requires inspectors to gather evidence about the typical behaviour of all pupils, including those not present, and to look at pupils in alternative provision.

Is isolation allowed under the framework? The toolkit expects sanctions, including isolation, suspension and permanent exclusion, to be used proportionately and appropriately. Schools must share records of any use of internal isolation at the start of the inspection.

Sources

State-funded school inspection toolkit, Ofsted, for use from 7 September 2026: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a915d1c01bbff0bf8f97b51/Schools_inspection_toolkit.pdf
School inspection operating guide for inspectors: for use from September 2026, GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-toolkit-operating-guide-and-information/school-inspection-operating-guide-for-inspectors-for-use-from-september-2026
Inspection information for state-funded schools: for use from September 2026, GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-toolkit-operating-guide-and-information/inspection-information-for-state-funded-schools-for-use-from-september-2026
Working together to improve school attendance, DfE, July 2026: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance

Questions school leaders ask

Does Ofsted grade attendance against the national average?: The expected standard says overall attendance should be broadly in line with national averages or show an improving trend over time. Where attendance is below average, inspectors look for improvement towards national averages and the school's pre-pandemic levels, and they take account of pupils who join with previously low attendance.
What counts as persistent and severe absence?: Under the DfE's Working together to improve school attendance guidance, a pupil who misses 10% or more of school is persistently absent. A pupil who misses 50% or more is severely absent, and the guidance asks all partners to make that group the top priority.
Can we use part-time timetables at all?: Yes, in very exceptional circumstances where it is in the pupil's best interests. Inspectors check there is a clear plan to return to full-time education from the outset, and a part-time timetable used to manage behaviour may be treated as an unlawful suspension.
Do we need to produce an attendance report for inspectors?: No. You must make an up-to-date analysis of the attendance of all groups of pupils available by 8am on day one, but it can be the analysis you already use. Inspectors are told to avoid auditing paperwork and to focus on what leaders have learned and done.
Will inspectors look at behaviour of pupils who are not in school that day?: Yes. The operating guide requires inspectors to gather evidence about the typical behaviour of all pupils, including those not present, and to look at pupils in alternative provision.
Is isolation allowed under the framework?: The toolkit expects sanctions, including isolation, suspension and permanent exclusion, to be used proportionately and appropriately. Schools must share records of any use of internal isolation at the start of the inspection.