Asked by
To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to
reduce absenteeism in schools.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Education () (Con)
My Lords, the latest data show improvements in attendance across
all phases, with 350,000 fewer pupils being permanently absent in
spring 2023 compared with summer 2022. Our new expectations ask
schools to appoint a senior attendance champion and meet termly
with local authorities to agree individual plans for at-risk
children, as well as using our attendance data to identify where
to intervene early. We have launched the attendance action
alliance for system leaders and have expanded attendance hubs and
mentoring support.
(Con)
My Lords, I am delighted that my noble friend’s voice has
recovered.
Last autumn, two years after the lockdown ended, a quarter of
children were persistently absent from school—double the rate
before lockdown. That means that 2 million children are
persistently absent from school, falling behind on education,
missing out on social education with their friends and running
the risk of falling prey to drugs and criminal gangs. There is
something seriously wrong here. What research has my noble
friend’s department done to find out the reasons for this
worrying increase, which shows little signs of diminishing?
(Con)
As ever, my noble friend asks a very important question. If we
look at the reasons underpinning persistent absence, the majority
of persistent absence is authorised, with higher than normal
levels of sickness particularly in the last autumn term. We are
also aware of suggestions that parental attitudes towards
sickness have changed, with parents keeping children home when
previously they might have sent them into school and, of course,
high levels of reported anxiety. However, we are also actively
exploring the matter of those children who perhaps missed so much
education during the pandemic that their level of reading, for
example, is not sufficient to engage properly with the
curriculum. That is also something that we are keen to address as
quickly as possible.
(Lab)
My Lords, it is always a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord
Young, and to support his Question. I think the answer just given
by the Minister is very insightful. I want to ask her a question
that might be from the side. Could we get a message across to
parents, particularly those who have started to believe that
working from home is the norm, that when they get up, they have
to get their children to school?
(Con)
I know that the noble Lord will know that the relationship with
parents is incredibly important. He is right: it seems clearer,
now more than ever, that there needs to be great communication
with parents and a high level of trust. We have prepared
materials to support parents getting their children into school.
The Secretary of State has just written to all responsible
bodies, local authorities and trusts about this importance,
including highlighting really good, clear communication with
parents.
(LD)
My Lords, can the Minister give us some guidance on what progress
has been made in making sure that mainstream schools are
identifying reasons why children are failing? Often this is
because of neurodiversity and special educational needs. What are
we doing to improve the awareness of these? I remind the House of
my interest in this area.
(Con)
The noble Lord knows we are working extremely hard, and in our
latest publications—both in relation to the commissioning of
schools and our description of what a really strong trust looks
like—there was a very big emphasis on inclusivity and making sure
children with special educational needs are well supported in
mainstream education. To give the noble Lord a specific example,
we are aware that in some areas children with education, health
and care plans have high attendance as a specific objective on
that plan. That is not the case in all, and many schools have
suggested to me that it should be.
(CB)
My Lords, children with some form of special educational needs
and disabilities accounted for 24.9% of all persistently absent
children in the year to 2022. Having 100% attendance may not be
possible for them, yet some schools offer awards and prizes to
children who have a full attendance record. Does the Minister
agree this is discriminatory? It not only impacts their
well-being but perhaps impacts their longer-term view of how they
will be valued in the workplace. What are Government doing to
ensure schools tailor their approach to take into account the
needs of young people who cannot be there all the time?
(Con)
I understand where the noble Baroness’s concern comes from.
Obviously, the children I meet tend to be hand-picked for
perfection, but when I talk to children and suggest to them that
not all their friends are in every day, they tell me they need
incentives to come in, whether that is fun at the end of the day
such as extracurricular enrichment activities or reward schemes.
Some of the best reward schemes I have seen are run on a weekly
basis, which addresses the point the noble Baroness raises: no
child feels they have fallen behind so far they can never catch
up.
(Con)
My Lords, I declare an interest here as somebody who, as a
schoolboy, regularly bunked off school. Noble Lords will be happy
to know that I want straight to the library and studied medieval
poetry—so that was helpful. I would like to ask my noble friend
the Minister if she could give us some good practice examples and
models of schools or academy trusts that have brought children
back to school.
(Con)
I find it hard to believe that my noble friend bunked off
school—although, obviously, medieval poetry was the first thing
that came to mind. In terms of examples of good practice, there
is a lot going on around the country. One of the trusts we work
particularly closely with is the Northern Education Trust, which
runs schools in places such as Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and
Stockton. I went to visit its North Shore Academy in Stockton,
where they are identifying children for whom reading is a
particular barrier to engagement. They then communicate when
children start to catch up with their reading to the parents, so
parents are getting a good news story about their child at school
and encouraging the child to go back to school. That, in turn,
helps behaviour in the classroom because those children are no
longer bored and potentially disruptive. That is the kind of
thing on which we are encouraging schools to get together and
share best practice.
The Lord
My Lords, I declare my interest as chair of the National Society
and thank the Minister for visiting the north-east recently. The
Church of England has just published a flourishing schools
document, which I know she has. Absenteeism appears to also be
connected to mental health and well-being; there are particular
issues around special educational needs. Could the Minister
comment on the work that is being done to note the connection
with mental health and well-being and improve that to help with
absenteeism?
(Con)
The right reverend Prelate will be aware that we are rolling out
senior mental health leads in schools. I think it is really
important—and this potentially relates to my noble friend Lord
Sewell’s question as well—that we are clear where mental health
is a genuine barrier for a child to be in school, and where a
child’s mental health would improve if they were in school. When
I talk to school leaders, they say it is absolutely the exception
that a child would not be better off in school, even if they are
experiencing anxiety or depression.
(Lab)
My Lords, three times as many children receiving free school
meals are severely absent from school compared to those who are
not eligible. This puts the UK’s poorest children at yet another
disadvantage compared to their peers. What steps are the
Government taking to support these pupils? The Government
outlined plans to tackle absence rates two months ago. How long
will these take to fully implement? When will we get the first
feedback from these programmes?
(Con)
The noble Baroness is right, and it is an area of real concern
for us. She may also be aware that there is quite a lot of
variation, including between schools in very deprived areas. That
is why bringing schools together in attendance hubs, so that
those with a very similar demographic can share their good
practice with those who are finding it harder to turn this, is
something we are keen to do.
