Schools are to be assigned specific minimum attendance goals as part of an initiative to make up for learning setbacks caused by the pandemic. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson will unveil a roadmap for each school to intensify efforts in aiding students’ return to classrooms.
A significant portion of schools are still struggling to enhance their attendance records. Starting this month, every school will receive AI-enhanced minimum attendance targets to ensure students are present and prepared for academic success.
The Attendance Baseline Improvement Expectation (ABIE) will consider various factors of each school, such as location, student requirements, and deprivation levels. Schools will be benchmarked against similar demographic institutions. The progress towards these targets will not hold schools accountable formally, and the targets will remain undisclosed to Ofsted.
Instead, the data will guide where additional support is necessary, including through Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) teams. Concurrently, 36 new Attendance and Behavior Hubs are being launched to provide personalized assistance to students.
However, teaching unions have expressed reservations about the new targets, fearing added pressure on schools already facing challenges. Phillipson emphasized the importance of students being present in school for their academic success, urging all schools to contribute to increasing attendance levels beyond pre-pandemic standards.
Before the pandemic, the overall absence rate stood at 4.7%, which escalated to 7.6% in the latest academic year. The number of persistently absent students, missing over 10% of school days, nearly doubled post-pandemic.
While acknowledging improvements made by the Labour party in reducing persistent absences, the focus remains on regaining pre-pandemic attendance levels. School leaders’ unions stress the need for practical resources and support rather than additional targets from the government.
Efforts should be directed towards providing schools with dedicated attendance officers to address attendance barriers and support families. The burden on schools, already under strain due to budget constraints and staffing shortages, should not be increased without addressing the root causes of attendance issues.
