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

Friday

4th Jul 2025

DfE misses its deadline for key attendance and behaviour roles
Two ‘ambassadors’ who will oversee the merged attendance and behaviour hubs were due to start today, but the DfE has made no announcement
Hand pointing at alarm clock
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Wednesday

2nd Jul 2025

Just 19 people show interest in the DfE’s ambassador jobs
The DfE is accused of ‘burying’ adverts for its new attendance and behaviour ambassador jobs, with the successful candidates, who are due to start this week, yet to be announced
Job vacancy sign in the dirt
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Saturday

14th Jun 2025

‘Horror’ toilets make pupils ask to miss school, parents say
Poll reveals 1 in 6 school toilets rated unclean, amid calls for government to prioritise funding to improve ‘disgusting’ lavatories as part of school estate upgrades

Thursday

5th Jun 2025

Curriculum fuels pupil ‘engagement crisis’, warns Lift CEO
Becks Boomer-Clark tells Lords that students are ‘voting with their feet’ because school ‘does not match their needs’
Curriculum engagement crisis

Wednesday

4th Jun 2025

Phillipson: Leaders have ‘responsibility’ to boost attendance
Education secretary tells school leaders in Birmingham she wants more progress on pupil absence
Bridget Phillipson with classroom of pupils

Thursday

29th May 2025

Early intervention has helped us to improve attendance
A school leader explains how setting a higher target for attendance and focusing on family support has proved successful in reducing absence
improve attendance Children in school
Students miss school because they can’t afford transport and meals
One in six secondary students has missed school at least once because they did not have something they needed, polling shows
Students are missing school because they can't afford uniforms or meals, research shows

Thursday

22nd May 2025

How to create a truly inclusive education system
The executive chair of the Centre for Young Lives explains its new roadmap to help the government deliver a more inclusive school system – and why inclusion is so important
inclusive education illustration of different heads

Wednesday

21st May 2025

Mental health and attendance: 5 insights for school leaders
New DfE research offers insightful analysis of the relationship between mental ill-health and school absence, including some findings that challenge conventional wisdom, writes Luke Ramsden
Wellbeing absence child sitting on bench

Saturday

17th May 2025

Tom Bennett to apply to be DfE’s new behaviour ambassador
The former government behaviour adviser and lead of the behaviour hubs programme is set to reapply for the renamed behaviour hub ‘ambassador’ position
Tom Bennett Behaviour Hubs
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Friday

16th May 2025

DfE sets out mental health, behaviour and attendance plans
Expansion of mental health support in schools announced alongside the launch of 90 attendance and behaviour hubs
Mental health hand on shoulder

Wednesday

30th Apr 2025

Starmer should look to last Labour government to fix school absence
Under Tony Blair, absence rates in English schools fell. The current government would do well to emulate this preventative approach, says Moira Wallace
Starmer should look to last Labour government to fix school absence