Persistent absence and support for disadvantaged pupils

Education Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 12 Jan 2023 Closed: 27 May 2024 Parliament page
The Education Committee has launched an inquiry into persistent absence and support for disadvantaged pupils. This inquiry will focus on the issue of persistent and severe absence in schools, with a focus on supporting disadvantaged pupils. The inquiry aims to examine the issue of persistent and severe absence and the … Read more
23 Recommendations
14 Conclusions
1 Report
4 Oral sessions
4 Events
Activity timeline 10 events
6 Dec
2023
Report published
27 Sep
2023
Report published
27 Jun
2023
Oral evidence
27 Jun
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
6 Jun
2023
Oral evidence
6 Jun
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
16 May
2023
Oral evidence
16 May
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
7 Mar
2023
Oral evidence
7 Mar
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 4 sessions
27 Jun 2023
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Persistent absence and support for disadvantaged pupils
Graham Archer · Department for Education Rt Hon Nick Gibb · Department for Education
6 Jun 2023
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Persistent absence and support for disadvantaged pupils; Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
David Holmes · Family Action Declan Barker · Nottingham City Council Jonathan Pauley · City Inspires Leigh Middleton · National Youth Agency Nathan Persaud · School of Hard Knocks (SoHK)
16 May 2023
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Persistent absence and support for disadvantaged pupils
Diana Sutton · Bell Foundation Dr Claudia Sumner · Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) Dr Daniel Stavrou · Special Education Consortium Ellie Costello · Square Peg Pauline Anderson OBE · Traveller Movement Vicki Nash · Mind
7 Mar 2023
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Persistent absence and support for disadvantaged pupils
Alice Wilcock · Centre for Social Justice Cllr Lucy Nethsingha · Local Government Association Dame Rachel de Souza · Office of the Children's Commissioner for England Mr Rob Williams · National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT)
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Seventh Report - Persistent absence and support for disadvantage… HC 970 27 Sep 2023 37 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
15 results
Clear
3 Recommendation Deferred
Seventh Report - Persistent absenc…
Government commitments to a national register of children not in school remain unfulfilled.
The Department monitoring daily school attendance is a welcome step, but further monitoring is needed to identify and support those children not receiving a formal education. We have repeatedly called for a register of children not in school and were … Read more
Government Response
The government remains committed to introducing local authority registers for children not in school and will legislate at a 'future suitable opportunity' while continuing to work on improving non-statutory registers.
Department for Education
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4 Recommendation Deferred
Seventh Report - Persistent absenc…
Introduce a register of children not in school fully operational for the 2024/25 academic year.
We urge the Government to deliver on its commitment to introduce a register of children not in school to be fully operational for the 2024/25 academic year. We therefore expect the Government to include a suitable legislative vehicle in the … Read more
Government Response
The Government remains committed to legislating for a register of children not in school but will do so at a future suitable opportunity, not confirming a specific legislative vehicle or the 2024/25 deadline.
Department for Education
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10 Recommendation Deferred
Seventh Report - Persistent absenc…
Require legal intervention as last resort, introducing a national framework for consistent attendance fines.
We recommend the Department instruct schools and local authorities to explore methods of support for pupils and families before the use of fines or prosecution, ensuring that legal intervention is a last resort only. The Department should be more explicit … Read more
Government Response
The Government states its guidance already promotes a 'support first' approach but will use the inquiry's evidence to inform future regulatory or legislative changes for a national framework on fines, and remains committed to legislating for statutory guidance when parliamentary time allows.
Department for Education
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12 Conclusion Deferred
Seventh Report - Persistent absenc…
Ensure whole-family support is at the forefront of the national attendance mentor programme.
Although we heard that attendance mentors do work with families in circumstances when their work with the child exposes a wider set of issues, it is imperative that they conduct this work for all pupils with whole-family support at the … Read more
Government Response
The government's response acknowledged the value of timely attendance data and the progress of the daily data pilot, rather than addressing the recommendation to ensure whole-family support is central to the attendance mentor programme.
Department for Education
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13 Conclusion Deferred
Seventh Report - Persistent absenc…
Adjust Free School Meal eligibility criteria to ensure all children in poverty are in receipt.
Given a major driver of low attendance is low income, it follows that measures to tackle child poverty should be considered in the Department’s approach to improving attendance. The Department should make an assessment of the eligibility criteria for Free … Read more
Government Response
The government deflects the recommendation by welcoming the Committee’s recognition of timely attendance data and the progress of the daily data pilot, rather than addressing the call to assess Free School Meal eligibility and child poverty.
Department for Education
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14 Conclusion Deferred
Seventh Report - Persistent absenc…
Department fails to require measurement of attendance return rates from breakfast and holiday clubs.
We welcome the offer of breakfast clubs and the Holiday Activities and Food Programme for pupils with higher levels of disadvantage. This measure can be used to support attendance, and may already be doing so, but there is a lack … Read more
Government Response
The government's response discussed the link between persistent absence and home education, rather than addressing the recommendation for measuring the impact of breakfast and holiday clubs on school attendance.
Department for Education
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15 Recommendation Deferred
Seventh Report - Persistent absenc…
Require local authorities to report on school attendance for pupils attending breakfast or holiday clubs.
We recommend the Department require local authorities to report on school attendance levels for pupils who have attended a breakfast club or holiday club. If a significant impact can be demonstrated, the Government should consider this in future funding decisions. Read more
Government Response
The government deflects the recommendation by focusing on the linkages between persistent absence and home education, rather than addressing the call to require local authorities to report on attendance at breakfast or holiday clubs.
Department for Education
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17 Recommendation Deferred
Seventh Report - Persistent absenc…
Commission research to test the link between sports-based interventions and improved school attendance.
We recommend the Department commission research to test the link between sports- based interventions and improved attendance. As part of this, the Department should look to the third sector for effective practice examples.
Government Response
The government responded by outlining its existing 'Working together to improve school attendance' guidance from May 2022, rather than committing to commissioning research on sports-based interventions and attendance.
Department for Education
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18 Conclusion Deferred
Seventh Report - Persistent absenc…
Promote an overall enrichment guarantee for pupils in school to improve attendance.
The provision of enrichment activities available for pupils has declined in recent years, with £1 billion less spent on youth services than a decade ago. We heard sports-based activities provided by third sector organisations is just one example of enrichment … Read more
Government Response
The government deflects the recommendation regarding an enrichment guarantee by discussing existing guidance, ‘Working together to improve school attendance,’ issued in May 2022, which focuses on a 'support first' ethos and attendance expectations.
Department for Education
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20 Recommendation Deferred
Seventh Report - Persistent absenc…
Take greater care when reporting SEND attendance statistics to avoid unhelpful comparisons.
Absence rates in special schools have always been significantly higher than in mainstream educational settings. We understand the SEND cohort have higher absences for legitimate and unavoidable reasons, thus making comparisons with other cohorts difficult. We recommend the Department take … Read more
Government Response
The government's response detailed a new burdens assessment undertaken in Spring 2022, which is unrelated to the recommendation about taking greater care when reporting special school attendance statistics.
Department for Education
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21 Conclusion Deferred
Seventh Report - Persistent absenc…
Take specific barriers into account when developing attendance metrics for SEND pupils.
Attendance and engagement should be seen as key metrics of educational outcomes for SEND pupils in specialist settings. However, the Department should take specific barriers into account when developing these metrics and ensure that they are not expected to behave … Read more
Government Response
The government discussed a new burdens assessment from Spring 2022 and how local authorities are already delivering expectations, rather than addressing the recommendation to develop specific attendance and engagement metrics for SEND pupils.
Department for Education
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27 Recommendation Deferred
Seventh Report - Persistent absenc…
Lead a cross-government assessment of pupil mental health and ensure adequate CAMHS provision.
The Department should also lead a cross-government assessment of the scale of mental health difficulties amongst pupils, and review the current provision of support available in schools and outside of them. The Government should conclude this review and report its … Read more
Government Response
The government discussed the Department's monitoring of local authority support and their role in attendance, completely sidestepping the recommendation for a cross-government mental health assessment and CAMHS review.
Department for Education
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29 Conclusion Deferred
Seventh Report - Persistent absenc…
Introduce a mental health absence code for schools with clear usage thresholds.
As part of reforms to the guidance on attendance, the Department should introduce a mental health absence code, and set clear thresholds for its use.
Government Response
The government's response detailed the 'Working together to improve attendance' guidance, focusing on its 'support first' ethos and the use of legal interventions, but did not address the recommendation to introduce a mental health absence code.
Department for Education
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32 Conclusion Deferred
Seventh Report - Persistent absenc…
Respond with data on transport cost support take-up by low-income families.
Transport and uniform costs were identified as barriers to school attendance, especially with recent increases to the cost of living. Although the Department provides extra support to low-income families, such as help with transport costs, it is clear from our … Read more
Government Response
The government welcomed the committee's support for attendance mentors and related models, but did not provide the requested data on the take-up of transport cost support for low-income families.
Department for Education
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33 Recommendation Deferred
Seventh Report - Persistent absenc…
Review framework supporting low-income families with school costs and issue best practice guidance.
Ultimately, pupils from low-socio economic backgrounds should not be prevented from receiving an education due their financial situation, and this should be considered a priority for the Department as the cost of living continues to rise. We recommend the Department … Read more
Government Response
The government welcomed the Committee’s support for its existing expansion of attendance mentors and acknowledged the importance of individual and whole-family support, rather than committing to a review of financial support for low-income families.
Department for Education
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Government Response AI assessment · 37 of 23 classified
Accepted 15
Accepted in Part 3
Acknowledged 2
Deferred 15
Not Addressed 1
Rejected 1
Total 23 recs + 14 conclusions