Children's Commissioner launches attendance drive

The Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza has said she wants to see 100% attendance on the first day back in the September term, and is hoping to get everyone involved in the attendance drive.

In the Children's Commissioner's latest report, Voices of England’s Missing Children, de Souza has said that everyone needs to get involved in the attendance driver - including schools, parents, politicians, local authority leaders, the NHS, the police, and social workers.

To help, a new ‘Back into School’ portal has been launched, which includes resources for parents and professionals working with children.

de Souza recommended that all schools create a culture that prioritises and obsesses about attendance and promotes this message amongst children and parents.

The report says that schools and wider services should build trusted and supportive relationships with children and their families, with all attendance and behaviour documents having accessible, child-friendly versions.

Attendance should also be prioritised in the government’s new “parent pledge”, which currently focuses on literacy and numeracy.

De Souza said: "This is my call to action – let's work together to make sure that the first day back to school after the summer holidays is the beginning of a year of friendships, opportunities and learning for every child in England."