The Education Secretary has emphasized the crucial role parents play in ensuring children attend school regularly and maintain good behaviour, as the Government introduces new initiatives aimed at supporting schools in these areas.
The Department for Education (DfE) revealed plans to provide around 600,000 pupils across 800 schools with access to expert support from school leaders skilled in improving attendance and behaviour.
Bridget Phillipson stated, “I am calling on parents, schools, and families to work together to get children in class and ready to learn at the start of this school term.”
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Highlighting progress, she noted that there have been five million additional school days attended this year due to ongoing efforts. However, she stressed that further collaboration is necessary, especially from parents and carers, to foster attendance and proper behaviour.
Phillipson expressed particular concern for white working-class children, who face significant educational barriers. Data reveals that one in ten white children eligible for free school meals were suspended last year, a rate five times higher than their peers, coupled with some of the highest absence rates.
“These children face steep challenges rooted in a long-standing class divide that affects their access to education and leads to disproportionately high suspension and absence rates,” she said.
The Education Secretary affirmed that the current Government is committed to overhauling a system that has failed many white working-class children.
Further strategies to address behavioural issues will be detailed in the DfE’s forthcoming schools white paper, expected this autumn.
The initial phase of the programme includes 21 designated attendance and behaviour hubs. These hubs, managed by schools with proven success in these areas, will share effective strategies with 800 schools serving 600,000 students, with plans to expand support to 5,000 schools and offer intensive assistance to 500 schools.
According to the DfE, around seven out of every 30 classroom minutes are lost due to disruptive behaviour, underscoring the need for these initiatives.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), welcomed the Education Secretary’s call for a collaborative approach between families and schools. “Working together is essential to effectively tackle attendance and behaviour challenges,” he said.
However, Mr Di’Iasio also urged the Government to take stronger action, highlighting the difficulty schools face in implementing pastoral support systems due to chronic underfunding of the education sector.