Parent Engagement Drives Attendance Up

As a former data and exams manager, I’ve seen absence derail student progress. One missed day seems small, but 90% attendance means 15 days lost a year, or three weeks of learning gone. 

June 2025 DfE data shows schools with automated parent engagement tools saw 15% better attendance. TALAXY, our cloud-based platform, makes this easy, helping schools tackle absence. Here’s how it works and why it matters.

By Shannon Gaughan, Product Manager, TASC Software

The Attendance Crisis Is Real

DfE’s June 2025 report shows a 7.0% absence rate for spring 2024/25, with 20.3% of pupils persistently absent (missing 10% or more sessions). Only 5% of severely absent pupils hit five GCSEs, compared to 78% of those rarely absent. Parents are key. When they’re out of the loop, absences pile up. In my data manager days, staff spent hours calling parents or chasing bad contact details. It was messy.

But there’s hope. Schools with automated alerts see gains. A 2025 Education Hub post noted consistent family communication cuts unauthorised absences, which held steady from 2022 to 2023 while illness absences dropped 1%. Engaged parents get students to school.

How TALAXY Boosts Parent Engagement

TALAXY bridges the gap between schools and parents, saving time and keeping everyone informed. Here’s what it does:

  • Broadcast Tool: Text parents about absences the same day. Timely alerts mean faster follow-ups. DfE’s 2024 data shows 15% attendance boosts in schools using text messages. I’ve seen parents answer in minutes with clear responses.
  • Parent Phone Update: Parents update their contact details in TALAXY, office staff approve, and it syncs to the MIS. No more wrong numbers.
  • Timetable Access: Students and parents check exam or class schedules via TALAXY accounts. Clear schedules cut stress-driven absences; 85% of students report exam anxiety (2024 SaveMyExams survey).
  • Behaviour Alerts: Struggling student? TALAXY notifies parents about behaviour issues for early intervention. This matters when 20% of incidents spike during exams (2024 reports).
Why It Works

Engaging parents builds trust, not just alerts. DfE’s 2024 attendance guidance (effective August 2024) calls for “compassionate discussions” with families. TALAXY enables this with real-time updates and solid data. In my old role, one quick call could turn attendance around, but only with the right contact info and time. TALAXY handles the admin, so staff focus on people.

Stats prove it: schools with daily attendance reports (like TALAXY’s) spot at-risk students 20% faster (2025 DfE dashboards). With 32 attendance hubs now supporting over a million pupils (DfE, 2024), tools like ours keep schools compliant and effective.

The Bigger Picture

Poor attendance hits grades and wellbeing. The Children’s Commissioner (2024) found one in five persistently absent students waiting for SEND or mental health support. TALAXY can’t solve it all, but it keeps parents engaged and students in class. Back when I managed data, a tool like this would’ve saved me hours and let me focus on students who needed it most.

Try It Yourself

Want to boost your school’s attendance? TALAXY syncs with your MIS, works on any device, and sets up in minutes. Contact us for a demo site login and let’s get students back in school.

Sources: DfE Week 24 2025 (7.0% absence, 20.3% persistent absence, 15% attendance improvement); Children’s Commissioner 2024 (20.1% persistent absence, SEND/mental health); Education Hub 2025 (attendance-wellbeing link); SaveMyExams 2024 (85% exam anxiety); BETT 2024 (20% behaviour spike).

Designed, developed and distributed by TASC Software Solutions Ltd.