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Children Missing Education Support

The Department for Education is addressing persistent pupil absenteeism and children missing education in England, where approximately one in five school-age children miss at least one day per fortnight. The department is considering measures including a national register of out-of-school children, parental notification duties, and improved attendance enforcement, while also examining whether home-to-school transport policy adequately supports attendance.

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2026

23 events
29 Apr 2026 | Written question Department for Education linked

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support is being provided to schools and colleges in areas with higher than average rates of students not achieving a grade 4 in GCSE a) English and b

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support is being provided to schools and colleges in areas with higher than average rates of students not achieving a grade 4 in GCSE a) English and b) Maths.

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29 Apr 2026 | Written question Department for Education linked

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce a national register of children not in school; if not, what steps they will take to ensure consistency and completeness between local aut

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce a national register of children not in school; if not, what steps they will take to ensure consistency and completeness between local authorities to identify those children; and what assessmen

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29 Apr 2026 | Written question Department for Education linked

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations about harmonising support for mobile children in Armed Forces fam

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations about harmonising support for mobile children in Armed Forces families.

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28 Apr 2026 | Written question Department for Education linked

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department's policy is on arresting and detaining parents overnight in connection with Education Act 1996 non-attendance offences, particularly in

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department's policy is on arresting and detaining parents overnight in connection with Education Act 1996 non-attendance offences, particularly in cases where the parent ensured the child attended scho

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28 Apr 2026 | Written question Department for Education linked

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of local authorities on improving the attendance enforcement regime for parents of persistently ab

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of local authorities on improving the attendance enforcement regime for parents of persistently absent pupils.

▤ View document · ↗ GOV.UK
6 Mar 2026 | Committee report linked

The Department does not understand how access to transport is affecting attendance, nor how difficult it is for parents to navigate the system, particularly post-16. While acknowledging that transport is critical to accessing education and training, the Department does not 2 know how annual spending—£2.3 billion in 2023–24 and £2.6 billion in 2024–25—on home to school transport is impacting overall attendance and participation levels. Instead, it only considers how many sessions children who ...

The Department does not understand how access to transport is affecting attendance, nor how difficult it is for parents to navigate the system, particularly post-16. While acknowledging that transport is critical to accessing education and training, the Department does not …

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6 Mar 2026 | Committee report linked

On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Education (the Department) and from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on home to school transport in England.1 We also took evidence from the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport (ADEPT), the Local Government Association (LGA) and Contact, a charity for families with disabled children.

On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Education (the Department) and from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on home to school transport in England.1 …

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6 Mar 2026 | Committee report linked

In the academic year 2023/24, around one in five children of compulsory school age in England missed a day or more of school per fortnight – and around one in three at sixth form age.28 Government data from November 2025 showed that almost one million young people aged 16–24 in the UK were not in education, employment or training (NEET).29 Improving attendance is a key priority for the Department.30 It is also unclear whether the Government is ensuring that home-to-school transport is being u...

In the academic year 2023/24, around one in five children of compulsory school age in England missed a day or more of school per fortnight – and around one in three at sixth form age.28 Government data from November 2025 …

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6 Mar 2026 | Committee report linked

Given that home to school transport policy aims to facilitate attendance, we asked the Department if the current system was doing all it could to promote it. The Department told us that it saw transport as critical to ensuring access to education but explained that it only measures the number of total school sessions missed due to problems on a particular day with local-authority-provided home to school transport (for the 6% of children that already receive it). It told us that for the 2024/2...

Given that home to school transport policy aims to facilitate attendance, we asked the Department if the current system was doing all it could to promote it. The Department told us that it saw transport as critical to ensuring access …

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2025

10 events
7 Mar 2025 | Committee report linked

On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Education (the Department) on improving educational outcomes for disadvantaged children in England.2

On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Education (the Department) on improving educational outcomes for disadvantaged children in England.2 Type: conclusion | Number: 1 | Response status: not_accepted …

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7 Mar 2025 | Committee report linked

The Department compares the attainment of disadvantaged pupils against their peers nationally through the disadvantage gap index, its main measure of progress.17 The Department explained that its most recent data shows this gap narrowed marginally in the last two years for children leaving primary school at key stage 2 (from 3.23 in 2021/22 to 3.13 in 2023/24) and in the last year for those leaving secondary at key stage 4 (3.94 in 2022/23 to 3.92 in 2023/24). This is starting to reverse the ...

The Department compares the attainment of disadvantaged pupils against their peers nationally through the disadvantage gap index, its main measure of progress.17 The Department explained that its most recent data shows this gap narrowed marginally in the last two years …

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7 Mar 2025 | Committee report linked

Registration for free school meals is not automatic and some low– income pupils will be missed due to eligibility criteria. This means it is imperfect as a measure of disadvantage. The Department stressed the importance of using wider measures beyond the disadvantage gap index to understand performance. This included considering the proportions of students achieving certain levels across subjects and understanding local differences by bringing together various metrics and school–level data.23...

Registration for free school meals is not automatic and some low– income pupils will be missed due to eligibility criteria. This means it is imperfect as a measure of disadvantage. The Department stressed the importance of using wider measures beyond …

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7 Mar 2025 | Committee report linked

The Department recognises there are differences in how schools consider available evidence, and then the approaches they take to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children.83 The Department acknowledged that it needed to strengthen its support, beyond funding, for those schools not performing, including those needing further support to make decisions or facing high levels of poverty.84 It told us that its RISE teams, which bring together civil servants and expert advisers, would support scho...

The Department recognises there are differences in how schools consider available evidence, and then the approaches they take to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children.83 The Department acknowledged that it needed to strengthen its support, beyond funding, for those schools not …

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28 Feb 2025 | Committee report linked

Despite the implicit inclusion of children with SEND in the Bill’s provisions on breakfast clubs, we consider that express inclusion of the needs of those children on the face of the Bill would be a much stronger safeguard against schools failing—for reasons of cost, convenience and accident—to put in place commonsense measures to ensure that children with SEND have equal access to breakfast clubs. There are also implications for local authorities who fund home to school transport for many ch...

Despite the implicit inclusion of children with SEND in the Bill’s provisions on breakfast clubs, we consider that express inclusion of the needs of those children on the face of the Bill would be a much stronger safeguard against schools …

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5 Feb 2025 | Bill proceedings linked

School absences

That this House notes with concern the impact of low school attendance on pupils' futures; acknowledges the significant effect of covid-19 on overall absence rates, which have increased by 57% since 2015; further notes with alarm that 26.5% of secondary …

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2024

9 events
17 May 2024 | Committee report linked

Targets for maths and other shortage subjects should not be reduced unless the shortage is reversed, and recruitment targets are met, over a sustained period of time. Considering Government plans for compulsory until the age of 18 the maths target must be increased substantially unless the Government can set out other plans for delivering functional or practical mathematics through an alternative cohort of teachers.

Targets for maths and other shortage subjects should not be reduced unless the shortage is reversed, and recruitment targets are met, over a sustained period of time. Considering Government plans for compulsory until the age of 18 the maths target …

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17 May 2024 | Committee report linked

The Department needs to reinforce the importance of positive and effective partnerships between schools, pupils and parents in addressing and improving pupil behaviour and attendance. This is particularly important for special educational needs and disabilities pupils who represent an increasing proportion of pupils.

The Department needs to reinforce the importance of positive and effective partnerships between schools, pupils and parents in addressing and improving pupil behaviour and attendance. This is particularly important for special educational needs and disabilities pupils who represent an increasing …

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24 Apr 2024 | Committee report linked

Although SLC uses data on attendance to show student’s course engagement, and therefore pay loans, there remains no agreed definition of what constitutes attendance or engagement. SLC requires providers to confirm that students are attending their courses before it will make tuition fee and maintenance payments. However, DfE, SLC, OfS and providers have no commonly agreed definition of what constitutes student attendance or engagement, or how it should be evidenced. The NAO recommended that D...

Although SLC uses data on attendance to show student’s course engagement, and therefore pay loans, there remains no agreed definition of what constitutes attendance or engagement. SLC requires providers to confirm that students are attending their courses before it will …

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24 Apr 2024 | Committee report linked

We asked why, considering that student loan payments are made based on attendance data, there is no guidance on what constitutes attendance.45 DfE noted that ‘effective’ course attendance and engagement will vary by course and institution. DfE pointed to, for example, Open University students for whom there would be very different expectations. Different courses will have different requirements that suit different students in, for example, the extent to which they need to be physically presen...

We asked why, considering that student loan payments are made based on attendance data, there is no guidance on what constitutes attendance.45 DfE noted that ‘effective’ course attendance and engagement will vary by course and institution. DfE pointed to, for …

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2023

48 events
27 Sep 2023 | Government response linked

We urge the Government to deliver on its commitment to introduce a register of children not in school to be fully operational for the 2024/25 academic year. We therefore expect the Government to include a suitable legislative vehicle in the next King’s Speech, if it has not already availed itself of the opportunity to adopt a private members bill already before the house. (Paragraph 29) Expectations for attendance

We urge the Government to deliver on its commitment to introduce a register of children not in school to be fully operational for the 2024/25 academic year. We therefore expect the Government to include a suitable legislative vehicle in the …

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27 Sep 2023 | Government response linked

We heard mixed reactions to the guidance working together to improve school attendance. Whilst witnesses agreed guidance on a statutory footing is needed to improve attendance, we heard from a number of witnesses that the guidance in its current form may require revisions. The Department initially planned to revise the guidance ahead of the 2023/24 academic year and said it would place the guidance on a statutory footing when parliamentary time allows, but neither has been completed.

We heard mixed reactions to the guidance working together to improve school attendance. Whilst witnesses agreed guidance on a statutory footing is needed to improve attendance, we heard from a number of witnesses that the guidance in its current form …

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27 Sep 2023 | Government response linked

The Department should conduct an audit of support provided by local authorities to tackle persistent absence. As part of this, the Department should make an assessment of the impact of providing funding for Education Welfare Officers through schools, compared to centrally funding such roles. (Paragraph 47) Government Interventions

The Department should conduct an audit of support provided by local authorities to tackle persistent absence. As part of this, the Department should make an assessment of the impact of providing funding for Education Welfare Officers through schools, compared to …

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27 Sep 2023 | Government response linked

We recommend the Department instruct schools and local authorities to explore methods of support for pupils and families before the use of fines or prosecution, ensuring that legal intervention is a last resort only. The Department should be more explicit about this in its revisions to the guidance ‘Working together to improve school attendance’. These revisions should include a national framework for fines and prosecution, to ensure consistency between local authority use. We reiterate, the ...

We recommend the Department instruct schools and local authorities to explore methods of support for pupils and families before the use of fines or prosecution, ensuring that legal intervention is a last resort only. The Department should be more explicit …

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27 Sep 2023 | Government response linked

Although we heard that attendance mentors do work with families in circumstances when their work with the child exposes a wider set of issues, it is imperative that they conduct this work for all pupils with whole-family support at the forefront, as highlighted by best practice by School-Home Support. As part of the national roll out of attendance mentors, the Department should ensure whole-family support is at the forefront of the programme. (Paragraph 64) Food and enrichment-based intervent...

Although we heard that attendance mentors do work with families in circumstances when their work with the child exposes a wider set of issues, it is imperative that they conduct this work for all pupils with whole-family support at the …

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27 Sep 2023 | Government response linked

Given a major driver of low attendance is low income, it follows that measures to tackle child poverty should be considered in the Department’s approach to improving attendance. The Department should make an assessment of the eligibility criteria for Free School Meals and adjust if necessary, ensuring all children in poverty are in receipt.

Given a major driver of low attendance is low income, it follows that measures to tackle child poverty should be considered in the Department’s approach to improving attendance. The Department should make an assessment of the eligibility criteria for Free …

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27 Sep 2023 | Government response linked

We welcome the offer of breakfast clubs and the Holiday Activities and Food Programme for pupils with higher levels of disadvantage. This measure can be used to support attendance, and may already be doing so, but there is a lack of evidence as the Department does not require schools or local authorities to measure return rates in school attendance, following attendance at breakfast or holiday clubs.

We welcome the offer of breakfast clubs and the Holiday Activities and Food Programme for pupils with higher levels of disadvantage. This measure can be used to support attendance, and may already be doing so, but there is a lack …

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27 Sep 2023 | Government response linked

We recommend the Department require local authorities to report on school attendance levels for pupils who have attended a breakfast club or holiday club. If a significant impact can be demonstrated, the Government should consider this in future funding decisions.

We recommend the Department require local authorities to report on school attendance levels for pupils who have attended a breakfast club or holiday club. If a significant impact can be demonstrated, the Government should consider this in future funding decisions. …

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27 Sep 2023 | Government response linked

We recommend the Department commission research to test the link between sports- based interventions and improved attendance. As part of this, the Department should look to the third sector for effective practice examples.

We recommend the Department commission research to test the link between sports- based interventions and improved attendance. As part of this, the Department should look to the third sector for effective practice examples. Type: recommendation | Number: 17 | Paragraph: …

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27 Sep 2023 | Government response linked

As the Centre for Social Justice have recommend, the Department should implement an enrichment guarantee for pupils in school including the use of sport, music, drama and art, looking to the youth sector for best practice. This guarantee should have KPIs focusing on improving school attendance, and the Department should provide options for schools to incorporate this via an extended school day, should they wish to implement one. (Paragraph 98) Barriers to attendance for pupils with health dif...

As the Centre for Social Justice have recommend, the Department should implement an enrichment guarantee for pupils in school including the use of sport, music, drama and art, looking to the youth sector for best practice. This guarantee should have …

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27 Sep 2023 | Government response linked

Whilst the SEND and AP improvement plan provides a useful framework for improving outcomes for this group of pupils, it is evident that unmet needs prevails as a very significant barrier to school attendance. Whilst we understand funding pressures, it is essential that pupils are provided with proper resource to improve their educational outcomes and therefore, school attendance.

Whilst the SEND and AP improvement plan provides a useful framework for improving outcomes for this group of pupils, it is evident that unmet needs prevails as a very significant barrier to school attendance. Whilst we understand funding pressures, it …

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27 Sep 2023 | Government response linked

We have seen overwhelming evidence indicating a radical increase in mental health difficulties amongst school pupils since the covid-19 pandemic. With CAMHS waiting lists at all-time highs, and pupils on three-year waiting lists in some parts of the country, it is evident that the current capacity of mental health services is grossly 66 Persistent absence and support for disadvantaged pupils inadequate. Whilst the Department has issued non-statutory guidance on mental health in schools, it ne...

We have seen overwhelming evidence indicating a radical increase in mental health difficulties amongst school pupils since the covid-19 pandemic. With CAMHS waiting lists at all-time highs, and pupils on three-year waiting lists in some parts of the country, it …

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27 Sep 2023 | Government response linked

The Department should also lead a cross-government assessment of the scale of mental health difficulties amongst pupils, and review the current provision of support available in schools and outside of them. The Government should conclude this review and report its findings by Summer 2024. There then needs to be significant joint working across the Government to ensure CAMHS provision is adequate to meet the needs of school age children, in line with the Department’s previous commitment to a 4...

The Department should also lead a cross-government assessment of the scale of mental health difficulties amongst pupils, and review the current provision of support available in schools and outside of them. The Government should conclude this review and report its …

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27 Sep 2023 | Government response linked

Mental health-related absences are not commonly authorised by schools, sometimes due to requirements to provide medical evidence which can often lead to fines or prosecution for families. The introduction of an authorised mental health absence code could eliminate the need for medical evidence in cases of known and established mental health difficulties and reduce the need for intervention via prosecution.

Mental health-related absences are not commonly authorised by schools, sometimes due to requirements to provide medical evidence which can often lead to fines or prosecution for families. The introduction of an authorised mental health absence code could eliminate the need …

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27 Sep 2023 | Committee report linked

The rate of absence in schools in England has increased significantly since the pandemic. It is of great concern that absence rates have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The Department recognises the problem, which is encouraging, but there has been no significant improvement in the speed and scale of the rate of reduction which is needed to prevent long-term harm to pupils. (Paragraph 13) The Department’s outlook

The rate of absence in schools in England has increased significantly since the pandemic. It is of great concern that absence rates have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The Department recognises the problem, which is encouraging, but there has been …

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27 Sep 2023 | Committee report linked

We welcome the daily attendance data pilot, the Department’s intention to mandate schools’ participation, and to replace the School Census. Given that around 80% of schools have been successfully using the dashboard over the last academic year, for consistency, we recommend the Department make use of the dashboard mandatory as soon as possible, subject to a successful evaluation of the pilot and addressing any remaining concerns about data management, in conversation with the Information Comm...

We welcome the daily attendance data pilot, the Department’s intention to mandate schools’ participation, and to replace the School Census. Given that around 80% of schools have been successfully using the dashboard over the last academic year, for consistency, we …

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27 Sep 2023 | Committee report linked

The Department monitoring daily school attendance is a welcome step, but further monitoring is needed to identify and support those children not receiving a formal education. We have repeatedly called for a register of children not in school and were glad to see it in the Schools Bill. Although the Bill has been dropped, the Secretary of State, the Minister for Schools and the Prime Minister have committed to bringing forward a register, with timescales yet to be announced.

The Department monitoring daily school attendance is a welcome step, but further monitoring is needed to identify and support those children not receiving a formal education. We have repeatedly called for a register of children not in school and were …

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27 Sep 2023 | Committee report linked

We heard that support offered by local authorities can vary significantly. For example, since the funding for Education Welfare Officers has been devolved to schools, it has become a “traded good” for most schools, and a postcode lottery for pupils. We understand the Department has recently conducted a new burdens assessment to improve the consistency of support offered by local authorities, but not all local authorities have the resource to effectively provide the required level of support. ...

We heard that support offered by local authorities can vary significantly. For example, since the funding for Education Welfare Officers has been devolved to schools, it has become a “traded good” for most schools, and a postcode lottery for pupils. …

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27 Sep 2023 | Committee report linked

There is evidence that prior to the pandemic, fines played a role in reducing unauthorised absence. However, it is less clear if they are an effective deterrent for families who are facing some of the current barriers to attendance we have outlined. We heard that fines do not address the barriers that low-income families face and can be counterproductive by adding to difficult financial circumstances (as discussed in chapter 7). Families are struggling with high school costs, and in some case...

There is evidence that prior to the pandemic, fines played a role in reducing unauthorised absence. However, it is less clear if they are an effective deterrent for families who are facing some of the current barriers to attendance we …

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27 Sep 2023 | Committee report linked

We welcome the increase in attendance mentors and the expansion of attendance hubs. Geographical alignment with Education Priority Investment areas gives some insight into the Department’s priorities but we are persuaded that measures need to be rolled out nationally to support persistent and severely absent pupils effectively. The Department should roll out attendance interventions nationally. Given the success of the Attendance Mentors Programme to date, the Department should start by imple...

We welcome the increase in attendance mentors and the expansion of attendance hubs. Geographical alignment with Education Priority Investment areas gives some insight into the Department’s priorities but we are persuaded that measures need to be rolled out nationally to …

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27 Sep 2023 | Committee report linked

We heard limited evidence that schools were offering sports-based interventions to improve school attendance, despite the benefits of sport to pupil engagement. We did hear of localised interventions that are offering some provision, but the position of these interventions is often unsecure and unsustainable due to the lack of direct support from the Government. The Government certainly values sport and activity, and recognises the impact on pupil wellbeing through its update to the School Sp...

We heard limited evidence that schools were offering sports-based interventions to improve school attendance, despite the benefits of sport to pupil engagement. We did hear of localised interventions that are offering some provision, but the position of these interventions is …

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27 Sep 2023 | Committee report linked

The provision of enrichment activities available for pupils has declined in recent years, with £1 billion less spent on youth services than a decade ago. We heard sports-based activities provided by third sector organisations is just one example of enrichment that has been used as an intervention to improve school attendance. We welcome the £500 million pledged by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport towards a National Youth Guarantee, and the Minister for School’s focus on music educa...

The provision of enrichment activities available for pupils has declined in recent years, with £1 billion less spent on youth services than a decade ago. We heard sports-based activities provided by third sector organisations is just one example of enrichment …

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27 Sep 2023 | Committee report linked

Illness was the primary reason for pupil absence before covid-19 and remains so. But parental attitudes to illness and attendance have shifted and Government messaging has been inconsistent. As a result, the illness absence rate is considerably higher now that it was pre-pandemic.

Illness was the primary reason for pupil absence before covid-19 and remains so. But parental attitudes to illness and attendance have shifted and Government messaging has been inconsistent. As a result, the illness absence rate is considerably higher now that …

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27 Sep 2023 | Committee report linked

Transport and uniform costs were identified as barriers to school attendance, especially with recent increases to the cost of living. Although the Department provides extra support to low-income families, such as help with transport costs, it is clear from our evidence that families are not widely taking up these programmes, and therefore, they are not acting as a solution to these barriers. The Department should respond to this report with the take-up of support provided to low-income famili...

Transport and uniform costs were identified as barriers to school attendance, especially with recent increases to the cost of living. Although the Department provides extra support to low-income families, such as help with transport costs, it is clear from our …

▤ View document · ↗ GOV.UK
27 Sep 2023 | Committee report linked

Ultimately, pupils from low-socio economic backgrounds should not be prevented from receiving an education due their financial situation, and this should be considered a priority for the Department as the cost of living continues to rise. We recommend the Department review its framework for supporting low-income families in meeting the costs of school attendance. As part of this review, the Department should conduct an impact assessment of its statutory guidance on school uniform, Persistent ...

Ultimately, pupils from low-socio economic backgrounds should not be prevented from receiving an education due their financial situation, and this should be considered a priority for the Department as the cost of living continues to rise. We recommend the Department …

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27 Sep 2023 | Committee report linked

We heard that pupils with English as an additional language, or migrant pupils face some specific barriers to attendance. Although we asked if pupils from other ethnic minority groups faced barriers to attendance, such as Pakistani pupils, and White and Black Caribbean pupils with above average rates, we found little research or evidence on the topic. The Department should conduct further research on the barriers to attendance for migrant pupils, and those with above average rates of absence.

We heard that pupils with English as an additional language, or migrant pupils face some specific barriers to attendance. Although we asked if pupils from other ethnic minority groups faced barriers to attendance, such as Pakistani pupils, and White and …

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27 Sep 2023 | Committee report linked

There is clear evidence to suggest pupils from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community face significant barriers to attendance. Whilst the Department is aware of this, not enough is being done to support this pupil cohort, and community interventions are filling the gap in localised areas. Whilst the Department does not usually provide targeted interventions for specific ethnic minority groups, for this pupil cohort, it is evident that it is needed to improve their persistently poor outcomes ...

There is clear evidence to suggest pupils from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community face significant barriers to attendance. Whilst the Department is aware of this, not enough is being done to support this pupil cohort, and community interventions are …

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27 Sep 2023 | Committee report linked

We recommend the Department continue to work with stakeholders from the GRT community and using examples of best practice, roll out measures on a national scale to support this pupil cohort. (Paragraph 168) 68 Persistent absence and support for disadvantaged pupils

We recommend the Department continue to work with stakeholders from the GRT community and using examples of best practice, roll out measures on a national scale to support this pupil cohort. (Paragraph 168) 68 Persistent absence and support for disadvantaged …

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7 Jun 2023 | Committee report linked

Effective recovery relies on pupils being at school but absence is higher than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among disadvantaged pupils. In the autumn and spring terms of 2021/22, the average absence rate for all pupils was 7.4%, compared with 4.5% for the same terms before the pandemic in 2018/19. For disadvantaged pupils, the rate was 10.4% in 2021/22, compared with 7.2% in 2018/19. The Department says that attendance rates are improving as levels of illness reduce. It i...

Effective recovery relies on pupils being at school but absence is higher than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among disadvantaged pupils. In the autumn and spring terms of 2021/22, the average absence rate for all pupils was 7.4%, …

▤ View document · ↗ GOV.UK
7 Jun 2023 | Committee report linked

Evidence submissions from the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, Young Minds and Adoption UK highlighted the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had had on young people’s mental health.10 The Department agreed with Young Minds’ recommendation calling for a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing, and said that this was important because of the range of different needs. It told us that, with the funding currently available, its ambition was for its programme of men...

Evidence submissions from the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, Young Minds and Adoption UK highlighted the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had had on young people’s mental health.10 The Department agreed with Young Minds’ recommendation calling for a …

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7 Jun 2023 | Committee report linked

The Department told us that it hoped to see the disadvantage gap narrowing again from summer 2023.16 It accepted that one could always do more, but believed it now had a strong package of measures in place. The measures included things that were most likely to drive engagement from all pupils and particularly disadvantaged pupils. The Department also said that the way it had incentivised teachers to work in the most disadvantaged places was an important part of its efforts to close the disadv...

The Department told us that it hoped to see the disadvantage gap narrowing again from summer 2023.16 It accepted that one could always do more, but believed it now had a strong package of measures in place. The measures included …

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7 Jun 2023 | Committee report linked

The Department told us that illness, rather than unauthorised absence, was the biggest driver of the increase in absence, particularly persistent absence. It noted that this year’s figures were for the autumn term only, when there had been quite a lot of illness. A pupil would only need to have missed seven days during the term to be classed as persistently absent, and quite a lot of people who got flu would have been off for seven days.23 The Department said that the data showed that attenda...

The Department told us that illness, rather than unauthorised absence, was the biggest driver of the increase in absence, particularly persistent absence. It noted that this year’s figures were for the autumn term only, when there had been quite a …

▤ View document · ↗ GOV.UK
7 Jun 2023 | Committee report linked

We asked the Department what its plans were to deal with pupil absences. It told us that attendance rates were improving as levels of illness reduced, but there was more to be done.25 The Department said that a lot of its work on attendance started from the principle of providing support, particularly for children who had other disadvantages such as vulnerable children or children with special educational needs and disabilities.26 It highlighted that attendance for children in care, which had...

We asked the Department what its plans were to deal with pupil absences. It told us that attendance rates were improving as levels of illness reduced, but there was more to be done.25 The Department said that a lot of …

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7 Jun 2023 | Committee report linked

The Department said it had set a strong expectation that attendance was everyone’s responsibility, including parents, schools and local authorities. It also stressed the importance of leadership and data. It explained that national leadership was being provided by the Attendance Action Alliance which brought together key players from across the school system who could make a difference, and this approach was increasingly being 18 Qq 31–32 19 Q 49 20 C&AG’s Report, para 3.19 21 ERS0002 Action ...

The Department said it had set a strong expectation that attendance was everyone’s responsibility, including parents, schools and local authorities. It also stressed the importance of leadership and data. It explained that national leadership was being provided by the Attendance …

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7 Jun 2023 | Committee report linked

The Department highlighted that it was now collecting better data, drawn directly from state-funded schools’ own management information systems, which it could look at in detail, in real time. Schools voluntarily signed up to provide data and about 80% were doing so. The Department told us how it was now providing benchmarking data back to schools to allow them to compare themselves against other similar schools.29 In addition, better data allowed the Department and other partners to see tren...

The Department highlighted that it was now collecting better data, drawn directly from state-funded schools’ own management information systems, which it could look at in detail, in real time. Schools voluntarily signed up to provide data and about 80% were …

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7 Jun 2023 | Committee report linked

The Department said there were a range of different reasons for why schools chose to engage with tutoring; some would be about their view of the value of tutoring and some would be about the process of engaging people to do tutoring. It told us that it was seeking to reduce the number of schools that had not engaged with the National Tutoring Programme and was putting a good deal of resource into persuading those schools of the benefits of tutoring, through contacting them directly and throug...

The Department said there were a range of different reasons for why schools chose to engage with tutoring; some would be about their view of the value of tutoring and some would be about the process of engaging people to …

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7 Jun 2023 | Committee report linked

The Department acknowledged, however, that the fall in the level of subsidy was significant and told us it had accepted the NAO’s recommendation that it should model the impact of moving from 60% to 25% in a single year.50 It also undertook to keep monitoring this area and, if there was a significant drop-off in tutoring, to look again at the whole issue of funding to see what more needed to be done.51

The Department acknowledged, however, that the fall in the level of subsidy was significant and told us it had accepted the NAO’s recommendation that it should model the impact of moving from 60% to 25% in a single year.50 It …

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7 Jun 2023 | Written evidence linked

The Department recognises that a key element of improving attainment is for children to be in school.19 Rates of pupil absence from school are, however, higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.20 Written evidence we received from Action Tutoring pointed to increases in pupil absence since before the pandemic, and highlighted the stark gap in attendance between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.21 In the autumn and spring terms of 2021/22, the average absence rate for all pupils ...

The Department recognises that a key element of improving attainment is for children to be in school.19 Rates of pupil absence from school are, however, higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.20 Written evidence we received from Action Tutoring …

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7 Jun 2023 | Written evidence linked

Written evidence we received from The Tutor Trust noted that some schools, particularly smaller primary schools, were struggling to fund the cost of tutoring in 2022/23, when the Department was providing a subsidy of 60%.47 We also heard from Action Tutoring that, with the drop in the subsidy to 25% in 2023/24, more schools would struggle and essential interventions such as tutoring might be relegated.48

Written evidence we received from The Tutor Trust noted that some schools, particularly smaller primary schools, were struggling to fund the cost of tutoring in 2022/23, when the Department was providing a subsidy of 60%.47 We also heard from Action …

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18 May 2023 | Announcement Department for Education linked

School Attendance Update

UIN: HCWS781 The Government is committed to ensuring that all children, especially the most vulnerable in our society, are safe and have access to an excellent education.The Department for Education has today launched a call for evidence on ‘Improving Support …

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18 May 2023 | Announcement Department for Education linked

School Attendance Update

UIN: HLWS769 My Right Honourable friend, the Minister of State for Schools (Nick Gibb) has made the following statement.The Government is committed to ensuring that all children, especially the most vulnerable in our society, are safe and have access to …

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22 Feb 2023 | Committee report linked

The Department for Education and Ministry of Justice referred to a joint data sharing exercise they carried out in 2020 to understand the educational and children’s social care background of children who have been cautioned or sentenced for an offence. The Ministry of Justice told us this had helped “shine a light” on the overlaps, such as between youth offending and those who have ever been persistently absent from school. The Department for Education added that this provided a good case for...

The Department for Education and Ministry of Justice referred to a joint data sharing exercise they carried out in 2020 to understand the educational and children’s social care background of children who have been cautioned or sentenced for an offence. …

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2022

10 events
8 Jul 2022 | Committee report linked

Current national-level data is not available to illustrate the scale of gaps in education for looked-after children. It should be a priority for the Department to ensure this data is collected and published, so that responsible parties can be held to account when looked-after children are missing education.

Current national-level data is not available to illustrate the scale of gaps in education for looked-after children. It should be a priority for the Department to ensure this data is collected and published, so that responsible parties can be held …

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8 Jul 2022 | Committee report linked

The Department has set out a new legal requirement for local authorities to maintain registers of children not in school. The Department must issue clear guidance to local authorities on the definition of a child missing education, to ensure that all looked- after children not in the roll of a DfE registered school are recorded. (Paragraph 95) Educational poverty: how children in residential care have been let down and what to do about it 49

The Department has set out a new legal requirement for local authorities to maintain registers of children not in school. The Department must issue clear guidance to local authorities on the definition of a child missing education, to ensure that …

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8 Jul 2022 | Committee report linked

The Department must take overall responsibility for monitoring the register of children not in school, and must set out clear and robust accountability for local authorities who fail to secure full-time places at good or outstanding DfE registered schools for the children they are responsible for looking after.

The Department must take overall responsibility for monitoring the register of children not in school, and must set out clear and robust accountability for local authorities who fail to secure full-time places at good or outstanding DfE registered schools for …

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10 Mar 2022 | Committee report linked

The Department must continue to establish the full effect of the pandemic on children and young people. This must consider the impacts felt by children from disadvantaged backgrounds and on the regional disparities of support offered. This must not be confined to solely academic factors but should also focus on understanding how children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing have been affected, as this is critical to academic attainment. All data should seek to identify where pupils ...

The Department must continue to establish the full effect of the pandemic on children and young people. This must consider the impacts felt by children from disadvantaged backgrounds and on the regional disparities of support offered. This must not be …

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10 Mar 2022 | Committee report linked

Rates of persistent absence remain concerning, and the number of ‘ghost children’ who are experiencing severe levels of absence from school remains far too high. The Government needs to do much more to get these children back in school, which is the best place to ensure they will be safe and reach their potential. The Department should also be publishing more regular, up-to-date data, on the number of persistently absent children, including data on children with special educational needs and ...

Rates of persistent absence remain concerning, and the number of ‘ghost children’ who are experiencing severe levels of absence from school remains far too high. The Government needs to do much more to get these children back in school, which …

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10 Mar 2022 | Committee report linked

The Department must take steps to address the issue of persistent absence and ensure no more children become ‘ghost children’. We welcome the Department’s formation of an ‘attendance alliance’ and its consultation on reducing avoidable absence in schools, however these children need tangible action now. The Department must urgently set out proactive measures, working with schools and local authorities, to get these pupils back into school. The Government should also implement, as a matter of ...

The Department must take steps to address the issue of persistent absence and ensure no more children become ‘ghost children’. We welcome the Department’s formation of an ‘attendance alliance’ and its consultation on reducing avoidable absence in schools, however these …

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2021

12 events
26 Jul 2021 | Committee report linked

Once the statutory register of children outside of school is up and running, the Department for Education must make use of it to collate, analyse and publish anonymised annual data on the number of children out of school so that the Department, local authorities and others are better able to understand trends and create effective policy in response to them.

Once the statutory register of children outside of school is up and running, the Department for Education must make use of it to collate, analyse and publish anonymised annual data on the number of children out of school so that …

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26 May 2021 | Committee report linked

Only a small minority of vulnerable children attended school in the early stages of the pandemic, increasing the risk of hidden harm. The Department acknowledges that the pandemic presented real safeguarding challenges. It kept schools open for vulnerable children—for example, those with a social worker or an education, health and care (EHC) plan, or those deemed ‘otherwise vulnerable’—because continued attendance was seen as an important way of safeguarding and supporting them. However, the ...

Only a small minority of vulnerable children attended school in the early stages of the pandemic, increasing the risk of hidden harm. The Department acknowledges that the pandemic presented real safeguarding challenges. It kept schools open for vulnerable children—for example, …

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26 May 2021 | Committee report linked

The Department has not set out how it will judge the effectiveness of the catch- up programme in making up for the learning children lost as a result of the disruption to schooling. The disruption has adversely affected children’s learning and development, with the learning loss greatest among disadvantaged children. The attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers is likely to grow significantly as a result of school closures. The Department has committed £1.7 billion to fun...

The Department has not set out how it will judge the effectiveness of the catch- up programme in making up for the learning children lost as a result of the disruption to schooling. The disruption has adversely affected children’s learning …

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26 May 2021 | Committee report linked

The success of the National Tutoring Programme will depend on the quality of provision and whether it reaches the disadvantaged children who need it most. Previous evaluations by the Education Endowment Foundation indicate that tutoring programmes are effective in supporting children’s learning. However, the Department recognises that the tutoring market is under-developed, and there have been issues with quality and access in the past. As well as supporting disadvantaged children to catch up...

The success of the National Tutoring Programme will depend on the quality of provision and whether it reaches the disadvantaged children who need it most. Previous evaluations by the Education Endowment Foundation indicate that tutoring programmes are effective in supporting …

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26 May 2021 | Committee report linked

We asked the Department when it expected to conduct a lessons-learned exercise. It highlighted that the pandemic had often required it to take action collectively with other organisations as it could not respond unilaterally to what was a health situation. It said that any such exercise should therefore be carried out collaboratively with the rest of government in order to draw out consistent lessons.10 Attendance of vulnerable children

We asked the Department when it expected to conduct a lessons-learned exercise. It highlighted that the pandemic had often required it to take action collectively with other organisations as it could not respond unilaterally to what was a health situation. …

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26 May 2021 | Committee report linked

The Department recognised that continued school attendance was an important way of safeguarding and supporting vulnerable children while schools were closed to most pupils. However, the proportion of children defined as in need under the Children Act 1989, or with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, who attended school or college remained below 11% from 23 March to late May, and reached a weekly average of 26% by the end of the summer term.11

The Department recognised that continued school attendance was an important way of safeguarding and supporting vulnerable children while schools were closed to most pupils. However, the proportion of children defined as in need under the Children Act 1989, or with …

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26 May 2021 | Committee report linked

The Department explained that people had been extremely anxious in the early months of the pandemic and had taken the “stay at home” message seriously, and it had therefore been a challenge to persuade them to send their children to school.12 It said that it had begun to gather information from schools and colleges on patterns of attendance from the first day of the lockdown, and local authorities had given real-time feedback about any issues or concerns.13 It told us that the important thing...

The Department explained that people had been extremely anxious in the early months of the pandemic and had taken the “stay at home” message seriously, and it had therefore been a challenge to persuade them to send their children to …

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26 May 2021 | Committee report linked

Evidence from the National Foundation for Educational Research, based on estimates by teachers in July 2020, indicated that on average the learning gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers had increased by 46%. Teachers in the most deprived schools were also over three times more likely to report that their pupils were four months or more behind in their curriculum-related learning, compared with teachers in the least deprived schools.47 Interim findings from the Department’s own rese...

Evidence from the National Foundation for Educational Research, based on estimates by teachers in July 2020, indicated that on average the learning gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers had increased by 46%. Teachers in the most deprived schools were …

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26 May 2021 | Committee report linked

The Department told us that past evaluations by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) had shown that tutoring programmes could help children make between three and five months’ progress in their learning.54 The Department has provided £80 million for the NTP tuition partners scheme in 2020/21. The scheme is aimed at disadvantaged children and covers 75% of the costs of one-to-one and small group tuition, with schools funding the remainder of the costs. The scheme is being led by EEF and tu...

The Department told us that past evaluations by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) had shown that tutoring programmes could help children make between three and five months’ progress in their learning.54 The Department has provided £80 million for the NTP …

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26 May 2021 | Written evidence linked

We received written evidence from a number of research bodies indicating that disadvantaged children had suffered most as a result of the disruption to schooling. A survey by the Institute for Fiscal Studies showed that, on average, students from disadvantaged backgrounds spent less time on remote learning and were less likely to have access to online classes, home technology and a quiet study space.45 The Institute for Social and Economic Research also found that children in the most advanta...

We received written evidence from a number of research bodies indicating that disadvantaged children had suffered most as a result of the disruption to schooling. A survey by the Institute for Fiscal Studies showed that, on average, students from disadvantaged …

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26 May 2021 | Written evidence linked

Although the tuition partners scheme is intended to support disadvantaged children, the Department has not specified what proportion of children accessing the scheme should be eligible for pupil premium. At February 2021, just 44% of children receiving tuition were eligible for pupil premium funding, raising questions over whether the scheme would reach the most disadvantaged children.60 We also received written evidence which raised concerns over whether the scheme was large enough to reach ...

Although the tuition partners scheme is intended to support disadvantaged children, the Department has not specified what proportion of children accessing the scheme should be eligible for pupil premium. At February 2021, just 44% of children receiving tuition were eligible …

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24 Feb 2021 | Announcement Department for Education linked

New measures to support education recovery

UIN: HCWS794 The pandemic and associated restrictions have had a substantial impact on children and young people’s learning. To address this challenge, the government has committed to work with parents, teachers and education providers to develop a long-term plan to …

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2019

2 events

2015

2 events