On 5th September 2023, NNPCF co-chairs Tina Emery, and Sarah Clarke, took part in the Attendance Action Alliance meeting, chaired by Gillian Keegan MP, Secretary of State for Education.
At the start of this academic year, the alliance renewed its pledges at 10 Downing Street, to support children and young people to get back into school.
Whilst there has been some improvement across the board in the attendance figures, the alliance is keen to ensure this continues to improve.
The NNPCF has always advocated the difference between non-attendance and those who are unable to attend for other reasons. Our case studies have reported that SEND parent carers want their children and young people to have an education, but their SEND needs must also be acknowledged and subsequently met.
Along with the importance of being able to start the academic year successfully, which often proves very problematic for those with SEND. Details such us good and timely communication around school transport and the inevitable school year timetable changes can have a massive positive impact to the start of the term for our children.
To support understanding on mild illness and school attendance, Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer, along with other health colleagues has written the following:
Letter to school leaders on mild illness and school attendance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
For the last two years, at the start of the academic year, we have highlighted the need for a joined up supportive approach and not the punitive approach that, unfortunately, our children experience. In response to our requests, the DfE recently published a blog on what constitutes a reasonable adjustment.
The following information could be used by forums to help their local parent carers inform the schools that their children and young people attend to identify what reasonable adjustments are and how they can be used to help: What are reasonable adjustments and how do they help disabled pupils at school? – The Education Hub (blog.gov.uk)
The Department for Education (DfE) have published a revised statutory guidance for all local authorities on home to school travel for children of compulsory school age.
They have also published the following response to the public consultation on the guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance
Some of the changes to the guidance, specifically relate to children with SEN, disabilities and/or medical conditions, which have been highlighted by Contact’s school transport inquiry.
Aimed at schools, Working together to improve school attendance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) states “This report finds that children who miss one of the first few days of the new term for unauthorised reasons are much more likely to miss long periods of their schooling than their peers who attended those first few days. These children had a predicted overall absence of almost 45%, or 31 days across the term compared to children who missed days near the end of term with a predicted overall absence of 20-30%. This shows just how important it is that children are at school, ready to learn in the first days of the September term.”
A parental guide for school attendance will be published soon.
Regional Attendance Hubs are soon due to be launched. It is hoped they will enable schools to better support their pupils to get them back into school. Government to tackle post pandemic absence rates with new support – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Let’s get ready for September | Children’s Commissioner for England (childrenscommissioner.gov.uk) (published July 2022)