Currently, a pupil has to miss 20 per cent of lessons to be labelled a persistent absentee. The government plans to lower this to 15 per cent to encourage schools to tackle the problem earlier on.
According to the DfE, 184,000 pupils miss 20 per cent of lessons a year, but more than 430,000 pupils miss 15 per cent.
The DfE argued that statistics show clear evidence of a link between poor attendance at school and low levels of achievement.
Of pupils who miss more than 50 per cent of school, only three per cent manage to achieve five A* to Cs at GCSE including English and maths. But of pupils who miss less than five per cent of school, 73 per cent achieve five A* to Cs including English and maths.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
