Bath MP Wera Hobhouse is calling on the government to put robust measures in place to keep children in school, following an increase in pupil absences in recent years.
The call comes after Ofsted released its Annual Report for 2022/23 at the end of November, which revealed the continued drop in attendance.
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, wrote that the effects of the pandemic were casting a shadow over education and children’s social care. There continue to be gaps in children’s learning and issues with pupil attendance.
Mrs Hobhouse raised her concerns about the figures from Ofsted’s report, which reveal that school absences in the South West were higher in the last academic year in comparison to national figures.
The overall absence rate in state-funded primary and secondary schools in the autumn term of 2022 was 7.8%, with 24.9% of pupils persistently absent.
These numbers were higher than the national figures of 7.4%.
Amanda Spielman stated that the number of absences from schools in the South West was of significant concern.
She noted that following the pandemic, schools and children’s services were overstretched and struggling to get children back to school.
In response to the report, the Bath MP has requested the government drastically improve issues of school attendance, especially within the South West region.
Mrs Hobhouse recently met with St John’s Foundation in Bath, one of the UK’s oldest charities, who aim to reduce inequalities in children’s education and attainment both inside the classroom and beyond.
St John’s recognises that access to education is integral to reducing inequality and provides programmes which support children with their school attendance.
Wera Hobhouse commented: “When children don’t attend school, they risk falling far behind their peers. It comes as no surprise that good attendance at school sets children up for success in the future.
“We must support our children to reach their full potential and encourage them to return to school after being absent, especially in the wake of the challenges left by the pandemic.
“Figures of school absences in the South West are especially worrying. Our children cannot be left behind. The inspirational work by St John’s Foundation is vital to ensure that all children can access education, but they cannot do it alone.
“We urgently need the government’s support in getting children back to school.”
In a statement, St John’s Foundation said: “St John’s Foundation is acutely aware of the impact that regular attendance has on the educational outcomes of children which is why many of our programmes work to address this pressing concern.
“We specifically target areas that influence attendance such as mental health challenges, food poverty, and parental engagement.
“By focusing on these areas, we aim to create a nurturing environment that fosters educational achievement and supports the wellbeing of children in our community.”