Attendance

The latest news and professional advice on school attendance, including analysis of attendance data and shared practice on tackling pupil absence and internal truancy

Tuesday

25th Feb 2025

Why you need a good answer on play, breaks and pupil autonomy
There is growing pressure to release the constraints on student autonomy in the school day, so school and trust leaders need to have a clear position on the evidence, argues Jon Severs
Why you need a good answer on play, breaks and pupil autonomy

Monday

24th Feb 2025

Nearly 1 in 3 children ‘refused to go to school in past year’
Top reasons for absence were children not enjoying school, having a mental health problem or a special educational need, and being bullied, finds parent poll
A school road sign with one of the figures running away

Thursday

20th Feb 2025

Brighton’s school admissions policy shows change is possible
From next year secondary schools in Brighton will have to admit at least the average number of children on free school meals. This will help to end divisions within the city, says the Bishop of Dover
Two tickets for Brighton Pier
Schools call on ministers to extend chess funding
Scheme to encourage pupils in disadvantaged areas to take up chess has been a great success, schools say
Small girl playing with life sized chess pieces

Wednesday

19th Feb 2025

How are schools tackling pupil absence around the world?
Declining attendance is a common, if not ubiquitous, problem for schools across the globe. Emma Seith explores the factors behind it and what schools are doing to get their students back in the classroom
How are schools tackling pupil absence around the world?

Tuesday

18th Feb 2025

Enrichment activities key to boosting attendance, think tank says
Report calls for government to introduce an ‘enrichment guarantee’ of at least 80 hours of extracurricular activities per year
Enrichment activities key to boosting attendance, think-tank says

Monday

17th Feb 2025

9 out of 10 areas with highest absence are in the North
A coalition of northern-based charities and organisations calls on the government to tackle the root causes of pupil absence
The North of England is worst affected by unauthorised pupil absence, analysis shows

Wednesday

12th Feb 2025

Estyn: Welsh secondary attendance rate ‘stubbornly low’
Welsh secondaries’ struggles to recruit teachers are ‘impacting the quality of education’, finds schools inspectorate’s annual report
Two boys with a stubborn mule

Thursday

30th Jan 2025

Parent fines for term-time holidays rise by almost a quarter
Heads’ leaders call on the government to tackle ‘exorbitant prices’ charged by the travel industry during school holidays
Fixed penalty notice

Friday

24th Jan 2025

Parents warned of ‘significant barrier’ to home education in Scotland
Some SQA qualifications may not be available to home-educated young people because they include internal assessment, says new Scottish government guidance
Scottish home schooling
Breakfast clubs won’t improve attendance, say most heads
Teachers’ and leaders’ doubts about the government’s plan for free breakfast clubs in all primary schools have been revealed by a new poll
Empty seat at breakfast
Exclusive

Thursday

23rd Jan 2025

Persistent absence is coming down
But the number of pupils absent in the first week of this term was greater than last year, raising concerns that parent fines are not having the desired effect
Children entering school