Department for Education responds to attendance statistics

A Department for Education spokesperson said:

“Over 99% of schools have been open every week since term began and millions of pupils are continuing to benefit from being in school.

“The Chief Medical Officer remains of the view that schools should remain open, and has highlighted the damage caused by not being in education to children’s learning, development and mental health.”

Background

• The level of infection rate in the community means some absences are to be expected, and these latest figures show both staff and young people doing the right thing and following the correct procedures in place. Schools are working incredibly hard to make sure that remote education is in place for pupils who have to self-isolate.
• We recognise this is a challenging time and are hugely grateful to the school leaders, teachers and staff for ongoing extraordinary work to ensure children continue to receive the education and support they deserve.

• Pupils who are self-isolating should be provided with remote education from the first full school day that they have to remain at home to ensure they do not fall behind.
• Schools, colleges and early years settings across the country have worked extremely hard to put protective measures in place that are helping reduce the risk of the virus being transmitted and where they have become aware that someone who has attended has tested positive for coronavirus, they have responded well and taken swift action in line with public health advice.
• The data from 12 November shows most of the groups of children sent home to self-isolate are relatively small, the average (median) size of the group was around 13-14% of the total number on roll in state-funded primaries and 5-6% in state-funded secondaries.
• Schools are providing remote education for pupils who are self-isolating, in line with what pupils would be receiving in school. Earlier this month the Government published a Temporary Continuity Direction, regarding the provision of remote education in schools, under the Coronavirus Act 2020.
• The Direction means schools have a duty to provide education to children at home, as they do when children are in the classroom. This should help provide assurances to both pupils and parents that if pupils have to self-isolate at home their education will not be disrupted.
• We are supporting schools to ensure remote education is in place. We recently purchased an additional 96,000 devices which brings the total to over 340,000 laptops and tablets being made available to schools this term to support disadvantaged children.
• The Government is prioritising children’s and young people’s education and wellbeing, by keeping nurseries, schools, colleges and universities open.
• The Chief and Deputy Chief Medical Officers have been clear the balance of evidence is firmly in favour of schools remaining open, and have highlighted the damage caused by not being in education to children’s learning, development and mental health.
• Children are at very low risk from the virus, and staff are not at higher risk than those working in other sectors. We have strengthened the already rigorous measures schools are following to reduce transmission of the virus, including requiring face coverings in all secondary schools in communal areas outside classrooms.
• Public Health England collects data on infection, incidence and COVID-19 cases overall. PHE publishes weekly data on COVID-19 incidents by institution, including educational settings.

• On 12 November, 99.6% of state-funded schools were open, with approximately 86% of pupils on roll in state-funded schools in attendance.
• Attendance in state-funded primary schools was 90% and attendance in state-funded secondary schools is 83%.