Consultation on managing avoidable absence launched

The DfE has launched a new consultation on how to tackle the 'postcode lottery' of avoidable absence in schools.

The consultation proposes that all schools have robust policies detailing how they will support pupils to attend as regularly as possible and sets out how legal intervention including penalty notices should be used in promoting good attendance by local authorities.

The number of pupils persistently absent increased to 501,642 in secondary schools in autumn 2020, compared with 454,167 in 2019, not including non-attendance in covid circumstances.

The latest data shows a radically different approach to sanctions across the country, with some local authorities issuing no fines in 2020/21, while others issued over 1,500. The new standards will make sure interventions such as fines are always used when all other options have been explored.

Although the pandemic is still present and causing some unavoidable absence amongst teachers and staff, it has highlighted the importance of regular face-to-face education to allow all pupils to fulfil their potential.

The consultation comes as the latest school attendance statistics show 99.9% of schools are open, with 87.4% of pupils attending.

As part of the plans to tackle avoidable absence, local authorities and academy trusts will be expected to have plans for how they will provide targeted support for pupils who need it and work with schools to help spread best practice across the school system in driving good attendance.

Schools are also being asked from today to sign up to a new daily attendance data collection trial. Data will be gathered directly from school registers, reducing administrative work and potentially helping schools, academy trusts, local authorities and central government spot and address system-wide issues more quickly if the trial is successful.

The Children’s Commissioner is also working with a number of local authorities to review interrogate their data and step up efforts to support children that are persistently absent from school.