Alliance to improve school attendance hosts first meeting

The Education Secretary has hosted the first meeting of experts working with children to improve school attendance.

Although recent trends in attendance levels have been largely driven by covid, which is outside the scope of the work of the alliance, the government is determined to address the wider underlying causes of children not being in school.

Persistent absence increased to 16.3% in secondary schools in autumn 2020, compared with 15.0% in 2019, not including non-attendance in covid circumstances.

At the close of the meeting, the alliance members, including Ofsted Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman, Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel De Souza and Chief Social Worker Isabelle Trowler, issued a joint call on all those that engage with children, whether as a parent, teacher, GP, police officer, social worker or anything else – to work together to break down any barriers they find to them being in school for every possible day.

There are a variety of factors which could affect school attendance, such as anxiety exacerbated by the pandemic, mental health issues, children’s home life and issues at school like bullying. The alliance has brought together those who have the power and expertise to effect change across the full spectrum of issues.

There is a wide range of evidence as to the health and wellbeing benefits of school-age education, and the Chief Medical Officers have been clear that time out of school can hold back young people’s development and wellbeing.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: "Where children aren’t in school without good reason or don’t want to be in school something has gone substantially wrong and needs fixing. This new attendance alliance includes the people with the power to do just that.

"They will be working over the coming months to make sure everyone working on the ground with children, as a teacher, football coach, mental health worker or in any other role, has the tools and resources they need to break down barriers to children attending school.

"I will continue to prioritise taking action to make sure children have the opportunity to spend time in class with inspirational teachers and good friends – simply because it is the single most powerful tool at our disposal to make sure every child fulfils their potential."