EEF responds to DfE plans to improve attendance

Responding to the Department for Education’s newly announced plans to support pupil attendance, Professor Becky Francis CBE, Chief Executive of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), said:

“This renewed focus and investment around improving attendance is welcome – we know that tackling pupil absence is a pressing issue for our schools, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic. 

“It’s also crucial to closing the socio-economic attainment gap. Our analysis shows that three quarters of schools see attendance as one of the main barriers to achievement for Pupil Premium eligible children. 

“The evidence on how to support pupil attendance is limited – something the EEF is working to rectify through current research projects testing the effectiveness of a range of approaches, co-funded by the Youth Endowment Fund. 

“But what it does show, is that the interventions schools choose to deploy should be responsive, and tailored to meet individual pupils’ needs.”