Minister warns parents on school attendance ahead of new term

Hazel ShearingEducation correspondentBBCBridget Phillipson instructed the BBC that the beginning of the yr was a vital time for pupils and parentsThe schooling secretary has warned dad and mom of the risks of poor attendance firstly of the college yr, as youngsters return for the brand new time period this week.It comes as information first seen by the BBC reveals greater than half of pupils who missed among the first week went on to turn into “persistently absent” in 2024, in contrast with simply 14% of pupils who totally attended the primary week.Bridget Phillipson stated faculties and oldsters ought to “double down” to get youngsters into school rooms firstly of the 2025 time period.She instructed BBC Breakfast: “What we all know is that if youngsters miss a day or two within the first couple of weeks of time period, they’re extra prone to go on to be persistently absent.”She continued: “Which means they’re extra probably to not be going to highschool regularly, and all the results that has for his or her life probabilities.”Phillipson stated dad and mom needed to pull along with faculties and authorities to get their youngsters “off to begin”.Figures seen by the BBC confirmed about 18% of pupils had been persistently absent within the 2024-25 faculty yr.This was down from a peak of 23% in 2021-22, however greater than the pre-Covid ranges of about 11%.Faculties have at all times grappled with attendance points, however they grew to become a lot worse after the pandemic in 2020 and faculties closed to most pupils throughout nationwide lockdowns.Attendance has improved since, however it stays an even bigger drawback than earlier than Covid.The Division for Training (DfE) stated the info from the primary week of the 2024-25 faculty yr confirmed the beginning of time period was “essential” for tackling persistent absence.The Conservatives stated Labour’s Faculties Invoice had dismantled a system that had “pushed up requirements for many years”.A head lecturers’ union stated extra help was wanted “exterior of the college gates” to spice up attendance.Karl Stewart, head instructor at Shaftesbury Junior Faculty in Leicester, stated his faculty’s attendance charges had been greater than common and however there was a “particular dip” within the two years after Covid.”I get why. A few of that wasn’t essentially dad and mom not eager to ship them in. It was as a result of both that they had bought Covid or different issues, they had been saying, ‘We’ll simply maintain them off now to make certain’,” he stated.The college has incentives like awards and sophistication competitions to maintain absence charges down, and Mr Stewart stated attendance had kind of returned to pre-Covid ranges.”When we now have the kids in each day the outcomes are simply higher,” he stated.”When you’re right here, that offers you extra time in your instructor to note you, for us to see all that good behaviour [and] that actually arduous work – and that is what we would like.”However, like a lot of faculties, he stated some dad and mom nonetheless took their youngsters on unauthorised term-time holidays to benefit from cheaper prices.Others, he stated, have taken youngsters for medical remedies abroad to keep away from NHS ready lists.Head instructor Karl Stewart says outcomes are “simply higher” for pupils with excessive attendanceThe schooling secretary stated that whereas attendance improved final yr, absence ranges “stay critically excessive, placing in danger the life probabilities of an entire technology of younger individuals”.”On daily basis of college missed is a day stolen from a toddler’s future,” Phillipson stated.”As the brand new time period kicks off, we want faculties and oldsters to double down on the vitality, the drive and the relentlessness that is already boosted the life probabilities of hundreds of thousands of youngsters, to do the identical for hundreds of thousands extra.”Dad and mom will be fined upwards of £80 if their baby misses 5 days of college with out permission. Final yr, a report variety of fines for unauthorised household holidays had been issued in England.Phillipson instructed BBC Breakfast that fines remained “an vital backstop throughout the system”.”It is not nearly our personal youngsters, however the influence it has on the entire class – if lecturers are having to spend time protecting work they’ve already executed, it’s disruptive,” she stated.However the schooling secretary burdened that faculties had been requested to take a “support-first” strategy and work with dad and mom the place there have been wider points affecting a pupil’s attendance.The DfE stated 800 faculties had been set to be supported by regional faculty enchancment groups – by means of attendance and behavior hubs.These hubs are made up of 90 exemplary faculties which can supply help to enhance struggling faculties by means of coaching classes, occasions and open days.It stated it had appointed the primary 21 faculties that can lead the programme.Nonetheless, Pepe Di’Iasio, common secretary of the Affiliation of Faculty and Faculty Leaders, stated attendance hubs weren’t a “silver bullet” and a extra “strategic strategy” was wanted.”I feel the federal government has labored actually arduous to enhance attendance and it continues to be a precedence for them, however there is definitely extra to do,” he instructed the BBC.”So most of the challenges that [school leaders] are going through come from past the college gates – youngsters struggling with excessive ranges of hysteria, points round psychological well being.”He stated faculty leaders needed faster entry to help for these pupils and specialist employees in faculties, however pupils additionally wanted “nice function fashions” in the neighborhood by means of youth golf equipment and volunteer teams.Shadow schooling secretary Laura Trott stated: “Behaviour and attendance are two of the most important challenges going through faculties and it is about time the federal government acted.” She added: “There have to be clear penalties for poor behaviour not simply to guard the pupils making an attempt to study, however to recognise when mainstream schooling is not the fitting setting for these inflicting disruption.”Extra reporting by Nathan Standley