NAHT responds to Labour proposals to tackle school absence

Responding to Labour's plans to address issues with school attendance if the party wins the next general election, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders' union NAHT, said:

“Labour is right to prioritise tackling this issue. There is no doubt that data on attendance remains a real concern and too many pupils are still not attending school on a regular or frequent enough basis. Over the last decade, a combination of austerity and neglect has led to the disappearance of many of the crucial local attendance services that schools used to rely on. It is also clear that growing levels of poverty have exacerbated the issue.

"Should Labour win the next election, then this really should be a high priority. The promise of greater support for mental health is welcome, but we would urge Labour to go further and commit to tackling the underlying issues and rebuilding the support services that have been eroded. There is no escaping the reality here that proper investment will be required if we are to get to the heart of this issue.”