The short answers
What should a school attendance tracker show?
Each pupil's attendance for the year so far, counted from sessions, against the school's target; who has slipped since the last update and who has recovered; who is persistently absent or heading that way; patterns by weekday and session; who is getting close to the penalty notice threshold; and each pupil group against the national figure for the same group.
Can I track attendance in Excel?
You can keep the figures in a spreadsheet, and many schools start that way. The parts that are hard by hand are the ones that matter most: counting unauthorised sessions over a rolling ten school weeks for every pupil, spotting who has crossed persistent absence in each direction, and comparing groups with the DfE's figures.
Does the DfE provide an attendance tracker?
The DfE's Monitor your school attendance tool, reached through DfE Sign-in, shows your school's data from the daily attendance data your MIS shares, with trends and comparisons. Many schools use it alongside their own tracking.
How often should attendance be tracked?
Registers are taken every session, and the DfE expects unexplained absence to be followed up promptly, which many schools do with a call home on the first day. For spotting trends and planning support, a regular rhythm, such as every two or three weeks, is enough to see real movement without reacting to noise.
What adsum tracks, from the exports you already run
Three reports from your MIS, imported as often as suits you. No new data entry.
Every pupil, year to date
Counted from sessions the DfE's way, banded against your own target, with who has moved since the last export.
Persistent and severe absence
Who is in it, who moved in and out, who is heading that way, and the quick wins close to coming back.
Patterns and the ten-week count
Weekday and session patterns, N codes waiting for a reason, and unauthorised sessions over the exact ten school weeks.
Groups against England
Free school meals, SEND and EAL pupils each against the DfE's figure for the same group, nationally and in your local authority.
Reports already written
For governors, for inspection and for your education welfare officer, with no pupil names where they are shared.
Where this comes from
- Working together to improve school attendanceThe DfE's statutory guidance, 2026 edition: what schools, trusts and local authorities are expected to do.
- Monitor your school attendance: user guideThe DfE's own tool, built from the daily data your MIS shares.
Related guides: DfE attendance data, persistent and severe absence, school attendance codes. Every guide is listed on the guides page.
Try it on your own school's data
adsum reads the attendance, lateness and session-level exports your MIS already produces, and every screen, list and report follows from them.
Or ask us for a trial on your own school's data.