‘They will consider prosecuting me’: parents on why their children are missing school – and the consequences
Many say absence is due to England’s mainstream schools being unable to meet needs of neurodivergent pupils• Anna Maxwell Martin calls for end to ‘cruel, idiotic’ fines for school absence• Record 170,000 children missed at least half of classes in 2024The latest figures from the Department for Education suggest school absence is at a record high in England, with more than 170,000 children being “severely absent” and missing for at least half their lessons last year.In 2023-24, the number of those who were “persistently absent” and missed 10% or more of their school sessions, was about 1.49 million, which is about one in five pupils. However, the overall absence rate decreased from 7.4% the previous year to 7.1%. Continue reading...
Many say absence is due to England’s mainstream schools being unable to meet needs of neurodivergent pupils
• Anna Maxwell Martin calls for end to ‘cruel, idiotic’ fines for school absence
• Record 170,000 children missed at least half of classes in 2024
The latest figures from the Department for Education suggest school absence is at a record high in England, with more than 170,000 children being “severely absent” and missing for at least half their lessons last year.
In 2023-24, the number of those who were “persistently absent” and missed 10% or more of their school sessions, was about 1.49 million, which is about one in five pupils. However, the overall absence rate decreased from 7.4% the previous year to 7.1%. Continue reading...
