Alarming Trends: 1 in 5 Students Chronically Absent

Today's Government data paints a concerning picture of persistently high rates of pupil absenteeism, with over one-fifth of students absent from school in the last term. Despite recent government efforts to address attendance issues, these figures reveal a persistent challenge in curbing absenteeism.

While there was a marginal decrease from 23.8% to 20.1% in the number of pupils missing 10 or more half-day sessions compared to the previous academic year, this remains significantly higher than the 13.1% reported in the last pre-pandemic autumn term.

Notably, a staggering one-third of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) experienced persistent absence, indicating a persistent issue despite a slight decrease from the previous year. The overall absence rate for disadvantaged pupils reached 10.4% last term, nearly doubling the 5.5% recorded for their peers.

Secondary schools continue to grapple with higher persistent absence rates, with 24.6% of secondary pupils surpassing the threshold, a slight improvement from the previous year but considerably higher than the 15% reported in 2019-20. Primary school persistent absence decreased from 20.5% to 16.1% year on year, moving closer to pre-pandemic levels.

Special schools, historically facing higher absence rates, still contend with over a third of students persistently absent, though a marginal decrease from the previous year. This remains notably above the 30% recorded in the last pre-pandemic autumn term.

The children's commissioner for England has flagged the "crisis of attendance" as a paramount concern in education. Last year, 138,905 pupils were classified as "severely" absent, emphasising the urgency of addressing this issue.

In response to the escalating problem, the Department for Education has expanded school attendance hubs and allocated £15 million to enhance its mentor program for persistently absent children. Additionally, Labour has proposed leveraging artificial intelligence to identify attendance trends as part of its long-term strategy to combat ongoing non-attendance.

Paul Whiteman, General Secretary of the NAHT, emphasized the need for increased government investment and proactive measures, calling for more direct interventions, including home visits, to address the root causes of attendance issues. Urgency in addressing the bigger picture is crucial to making substantial progress in resolving this pervasive problem.