Truancy falls but more still to be done

0370 270 6000

Search Mobile

collapse

already registered?

Please sign in with your existing account details.

Email address

Password

need to register?

Register to access exclusive content, sign up to receive our updates and personalise your experience on brownejacobson.com.

Privacy statement - Terms and conditions

Forgotten your password?

collapseSign

Browne Jacobson home

Home

Insights

Blogs

Truancy falls but more still to be done

26 March 2014

130,000 fewer pupils missed 15% of school in 2012-2013, a fall of almost a third on 2009-2010 figures.

The increase of truancy fines and the reduction in time to pay, along with the threshold for persistent absence lowered from 20% to 15% are both key contributing factors to the improving figures. With long standing evidence showing that absence has a significant impact upon attainment, however, more must be done.

Children who miss 10–20% of school have a 39% of achieving 5 A2 to C GCSEs, in comparison to 73% of children who miss less than 5% - these figures speak for themselves. Whilst the fall in truancy is clearly a step in the right direction, non-attendance and its strong link to attainment will always remain a hot topic. The Government clearly has a focus on this issue and so we should expect additional deterrents to truancy and further policy to follow over the next year.

Related opinions

A level results: what this means for schools and higher education?

This year’s A Level results have been a resounding success and demonstrate the commitment and resilience of students, schools and school staff during these unprecedented times. However, there will inevitably be some students who are disappointed with the teacher assessed grade.

View blog

Allegations of abuse in schools, colleges and universities

The website “Everyone’s Invited” is a movement which is “committed to eradicating rape culture” and describes “rape culture” as “all the ways that different forms of aggressive and violent sexual behaviour are normalised, encouraged and even admired by society”. Find out more.

View blog

Lateral flow daily contact testing paused

Following last week’s Guardian article about the concerns over lateral flow daily testing for those identified as having been a close contact of a person testing positive for Covid-19, Public Health England (PHE) and NHS Test and Trace (NHSTT) have published a position statement to recommend that daily contact testing in schools will be paused.

View blog