First week ‘critical’ to avoid children missing school later, parents told

The figures show that students who missed school in the UK during the first week in September 2024 are more likely to kidnap the rest of the year.

According to the first government data seen by the BBC, more than half (57%) of the students who were not partially in the first week were “insistently” – at least 10% of the school was missing.

On the other hand, 14% of the students who participated in the first week were continuously.

Training Secretary Bridget Phillipson said that schools and parents should “double” to get children at the beginning of the 2025 period, most of them for English schools this week.

A Chief Teachers’ Association said that more support was needed to increase participation.

Schools have always struggled with participation problems, but in 2020, after my pandem, it became much worse, and schools closed to most students during national locations.

Participation has recovered since then, but it continues to be a greater problem than Covid.

In general, approximately 18% of the students did not permanently permanently in the 2024-25 academic year, falling from a 23% summit in 2021-22, but was higher than the front level levels of about 11%.

The Ministry of Education (DFE) said that the data obtained from the first week of 2024-25 academic year showed that the beginning of the period was “critical” for continuous absenteeism.

Karl Stewart, the chief teacher of the Shaftesbury Junior School in Leicester, said that his school’s participation rates were higher than the average and that only a “definite dipping” in two years after Covid.

“Why did I understand. Some of them didn’t want to send them. Because they either have Covid or other things, ‘We will keep them away now to be sure’.

The school has incentives such as rewards and class competitions to keep absenteeism rates low, and Mr. Stewart said that participation returns to more or less pre -level levels.

“The results are better when we have children every day,” he said.

“If you are here, this gives you more time for your teacher to notice you, so that we can see all these good behavior. [and] This is really hard work – and that’s what we want. “

However, Like many schoolsHe said that some parents still took their children during the unauthorized period holidays to benefit from cheaper costs in the best way.

Others, NHS waiting lists to avoid the overseas medical treatments, he said they took children.

The training secretary said that despite the recovery of participation last year, absenteeism levels were critically high and that all generation of young people put the chances of life at risk.

“Every day of the kidnapped school is a day stolen from the future of a child.” He said.

“As the new term begins, we need schools and parents to double the energy, impulse and brutality that already increases the chances of life of millions of children.”

DFE said that 800 schools will be supported by regional school development teams through participation and behavioral centers.

These centers consist of 90 sample schools that will provide support to develop schools struggling through training sessions, events and open days.

He said he appointed the first 21 schools to lead the program.

However, the Secretary General of the Association of School and University Leaders Pepe Di’isio said that the centers of participation were not “silver bullets” and a more “strategic approach” was needed.

“I think the government is really working hard to improve participation, and it continues to be a priority for them, but there is definitely more to do.”

“So many difficulties [school leaders] face -to -face, beyond school gates – children who are worried at high levels, problems with mental health. “

He said that the school leaders wanted faster access to support for students and expert staff in schools, but they need “big role models” in the community through the youth clubs and volunteer groups.

Conservatives, Labor Party Schools Law “a system that has been increasing standards for decades” has removed, he said.

Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott said: “Behavior and participation is two of the biggest difficulties faced by schools and it is time for the government to act.”

“There should be clear results for bad behaviors to recognize that not only to protect students trying to learn, but also for those who cause interruption.”

Additional reports by Nathan Standley