An end of term message from your AEWM President

Dear Colleagues,

Firstly, congratulations to you for making it to the end of another academic year, another year synonymous with change and challenge.? It's hard to believe that only 2 weeks ago, a general election took place which signified a change of government, and we await the settling of the dust to see how this will impact our areas of work.? It you managed to attend the "Meet the Secretary of State for Education" event this afternoon, it would have been pleasing to see that attendance was an early discussion point, which appears to signify a continuing focus on school attendance and inclusion.? You may have also noticed that Stephen Morgan MP, Minister for Early Education will hold the Attendance (including register of children not in school) brief for the department.

Following on from my first presidential message last month, I am making contact to share some exciting developments, to which the NEC and I would very much appreciate your views and input.? ??

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Consultation: Association Name - Lead: John Leese

The feedback from the members conference in May was overwhelming in your views that the name of the association should be revisited to ensure it continues to reflect the members it represents.? The plan therefore is to consult with you as to what the name of the association could be.? The consultation opens today, and you can submit your views via this Microsoft Form: https://forms.office.com/e/ARRhkKCRuQ?

We would ask that you consider the association's mission and vision when submitting your response:

?Our Vision: This Association will develop a highly professional and consistent support mechanism for managers and strategic leads responsible for school attendance. The association will achieve this through the delivery of effective, competent, statutory and other services, accessible to children, families and schools.?

Our Mission: This Association is committed to providing a forum for its members to share, support and consult on key areas of school attendance management and service delivery.

We will do this by:

• Providing quality training opportunities
• Striving for excellence through training and developments
• Promoting local support networks
• Providing information on new legislation, policy and good practice
• Valuing and encouraging the contribution of every member
• Influencing local and central government policy development
• Positively promoting equality in accordance with the associations policy statements

This consultation will remain open until Friday 17th?January 2025, and we will continue to remind you about the consultation throughout our regular communication with you.? The NEC will then consider your responses and circulate a shortlist of suggestions for voting by members.? The winning name will be unveiled at the next AEWM Members Conference and AGM on 14th?May 2025.? We also hope to unveil updating branding to reflect the new name, together with an updated website.?

Submit your views via this Microsoft Form: https://forms.office.com/e/ARRhkKCRuQ?

Regional Meetings - Lead: Joanne Sierzega

The NEC recently met to review the arrangements for regional meetings, to ensure you, our members, continue to have access to excellent regional meetings and all the benefits these bring.? For the first time regional meeting dates will be set in advance for the next academic year, and we are currently compiling these dates so that they can be shared with you as far in advance as possible so you can get them in your diaries.

Date 1 - Between now and 15th October 2024

Date 2 - Between 15th October 2024 and 21st January 2025

Date 3 - Between 21st January 2025 and 13th May 2025

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The agenda items we have scheduled for the regional meetings taking place before 15h October are:

• Any issues with Magistrates Courts - long waits for court dates, or concerning decisions/rational for decisions
• Any issues arising from School Attendance (Pupil Registration) Regulations 2024 - in particular we want to know about issues around "expected start date been agreed between school and person with control of attendance" - variations in practice across Local Authorities and how Local Authorities are approaching "sickness returns".?
• Any issues arising from the Penalty Notice National Framework
• Any additional feedback from the May Conference/AGM and Association Name Consultation

October Conference - Lead: Dave Harvey

The booking page for the October conference is now open.? The conference, which will take place on Wednesday 16th October online and in person in Solihull, will focus on ‘Nurturing every child’s right to education’.

Given the continued national focus on school attendance and the importance of the association and the role you play in improving school attendance and ensuring every child's right to education, we have managed to secure a number of high profile speakers, including:

• Dame Rachel de Souza, Children's Commissioner
• Rob Tarn, DfE National School Attendance Ambassador
• School Attendance and EHE Policy Teams, Department for Education

I have attached a flyer regarding the event, which includes a link to the booking page.? You can also access the members booking page directly via this link (you'll need to login to the website for the link to work):

https://www.aewmweb.com/members/conference-members?

I think that's it from me for this month.? I'll be back in contact with you again in September, but in the meantime please enjoy a quiet and hopefully uneventful last few days of term, make sure you take time to rest and relax over the summer break, and I look forward to talking to you more in September about all the exciting developments taking place in the world of School Attendance, Inclusion and Education Welfare Management!

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Kind Regards,

John Leese

President, Association for Education Welfare Management