New inquiry into persistent absence launched by the Government

A new inquiry by the Education Committee will investigate causes and solutions to the increasing issue of absence. This comes as statistics for the most recent period available, Autumn 2021, show that 23.5% of all pupils missed 10 per cent or more possible sessions in the autumn term of 2021, up from 13.1 per cent in 2019. While covid-19 has been acknowledged as having a damaging effect on attendance, the committee will examine links between absence and other factors such as SEND, economic disadvantage and ethnicity.

The Committee will question experts and education sector leaders on the proposals to improve data collection around absence and will look at the proposed new national framework for the use of fines. The statistics show that disadvantaged pupils are more likely to miss school. The latest national statistics showed 33.6% of pupils who were eligible for free school meals were persistently absent in Autumn 2021, compared to 20.0% of pupils who were not eligible. Furthermore, 30.6% of pupils who receive SEND support were persistently absent in Autumn 2021, compared with 21.5% for pupils who are not identified with SEND.

Education Committee Chair, Robin Walker, said:  “Missing school can seriously undermine a child’s education and future life chances. It is imperative that we take a nuanced and sympathetic look at the reasons why absence has become a growing problem. Not only do children learn and socialise while in school, vulnerable youngsters are also kept out of harm’s way. We must look urgently at ways to reverse this damaging trend that appears to have worsened during the pandemic.“

There has been increasing discussion among the SEND community of pupils who have not had the correct support and there have been news stories around local authorities who have failed in their duty to ensure appropriate education. Developing inclusion should be a key driver of the SEND review programme that is due to be published in the near future.

The Committee invites written submissions addressing any, or all, of the following bullet points. Evidence should be submitted by Thursday, 9 February 2023. Written evidence should be no more than 3,000 words.

• The factors causing persistent and severe absence among different groups of pupils, in particular:  
  • Disadvantaged pupils  
  • Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds  
  • Pupils with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), and those who are clinically vulnerable to covid-19 
  • Pupils in alternative provision  
• How schools and families can be better supported to improve attendance, and how this affects pupils and families who are clinically vulnerable to covid-19. 
• The impact of the Department for Education’s proposed reforms to improve attendance.  
• The impact of school breakfast clubs and free school meals on improving attendance for disadvantaged pupils.  
• The role of the Holiday Activities and Food programme and other after-school and holiday clubs, such as sports, in improving attendance and engagement with school.