Schools to receive individual attendance targets, says gov 

Every school in England is set to be given an individual attendance improvement target from this month as part of a government plan to reduce pupil absence to pre-pandemic levels.The Department for Education (DfE) said the move is intended to help children “achieve and thrive” by ensuring they spend more time in class. 

It added that the new approach would form part of an “urgent drive” to improve attendance across the country.

According to the department, overall attendance improved last year at the fastest rate in a decade, with 5.3 million additional days spent in school and 140,000 fewer pupils classed as persistently absent. However, around one in three schools did not record an improvement.

From this month, each school will be issued with a minimum attendance improvement target generated using artificial intelligence. The measure, known as the attendance baseline improvement expectation (ABIE), will take account of local factors including pupil needs, deprivation levels and school location.

The department said the use of data and AI would also allow schools to be linked with others in similar circumstances that have achieved higher attendance rates, to share strategies and provide support. These “high performing” schools will be identified in each institution’s ABIE report.

The initiative coincides with the launch of 36 new Attendance and Behaviour Hubs, designed to provide direct one-to-one support for tens of thousands of pupils across hundreds of schools. The hubs will also host events and open days to promote best practice.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said: “We can only deliver opportunity for children in our country if they’re in school, achieving and thriving. That’s why I want every school to play its part in getting attendance back to – and beyond – pre-pandemic levels.

“We’ve already delivered the biggest improvement in attendance in a decade and now we’re building a school system for the future with free breakfast clubs, more mental health support and a curriculum and enrichment offer to match. But we must go further.” 

She added: “By working jointly with schools to set individual targets, we’re tackling variation head-on. Our best schools already have a brilliant approach to attendance, and now we’re driving that focus everywhere so that all children are supported to attend school and learn.”

Commenting on the announcement, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, argued the move was the “wrong way to go”.

He said: “The reality is that schools are already working tirelessly to improve attendance, with many going way above and beyond what should be expected of schools every single day. The government issuing them with yet more targets will not help them with that work and is the wrong way to go.

“Instead of issuing targets from Whitehall, the government’s focus should be on providing the practical resources and support that genuinely make a difference – as well as investing in community services providing vital help for families with challenges in their lives which impact their children’s school attendance.”