| SPOTLIGHT |
The Department for Education has announced four new ‘attendance hubs’, in order to support schools and pupils to improve attendance.
This comes as a report by the Education Committee has warned that the rate of absence in schools has “significantly increased” since the pandemic.
Attendance hubs are led by schools with excellent attendance which share practical ideas with other primary, secondary, alternative provision and special schools in England who need support to boost their attendance, the Government said.
Hub schools also share ideas for how to use extra-curricular activities such as school trips, sports teams or breakfast clubs to create a “positive culture where children want to attend”.
The four new attendance hubs announced yesterday (28 September) are in Nottinghamshire, Grimsby, and two in Swindon. The hubs will support schools across the country.
The Department for Education (DfE) said that this brings the total number of hubs to 14 – which will support around 800 schools across the country responsible for the attendance of 400,000 children.
The hubs will start working with schools over the next two weeks for the rest of the academic year, the Government added.
Last month, Schools Minister Nick Gibb urged parents to play their part in continuing to support pupils to go to school, including when they have a minor cough or cold.
The Education Committee’s recent report found that physical illness was the primary reason for absence before covid-19 and remains so.
The Centre for Social Justice said that a “cultural shift” had seen parents become more likely to keep children at home for minor illnesses than before the pandemic.
On this issue, MPs recommended that the DfE and Department for Health & Social Care jointly launch a “targeted public information campaign to guide parents on when children who are unwell should still attend school, and when not”.
In May, the Department for Education established the ‘Attendance Action Alliance’ of national leaders from education, children’s social care and allied services to work together to raise school attendance and reduce persistent absence.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “Being at school helps children grow in confidence and ensure they get the education they need to reach their full potential.
“That is why we are doing everything in our power to ensure children don’t miss out on these precious years that only happen once in a lifetime.
“We are delighted to expand our ground-breaking attendance hubs and continue to work with the wider sector through the Attendance Action Alliance to further reduce absence.”
Lottie Winson
