London is introducing new “attendance hubs” to combat persistent absences in schools. The Department for Education (DfE) will coordinate with nine London schools with the best attendance records to share ideas with other schools across England, with the aim of reducing absenteeism. In addition, the DfE is providing £15m towards a scheme to offer support directly to pupils and families experiencing persistent absenteeism.
The DfE has launched an advertising campaign called “Moments Matter, Attendance Counts” to coincide with the initiative. The campaign aims to highlight the importance of good attendance in terms of wellbeing, attainment, and development, and will signpost parents and carers to available support.
The latest figures on repeated absence in London’s schools only run up until spring 2023, but new figures will be released in March. Speaking about the importance of the scheme, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said that “the benefits of our success in raising education standards can only be realised when all children are in school. Tackling attendance is my number-one priority.”
To this end, Keegan aims to ensure that all children receive a good start in life by emphasising the importance of attendance. She believes that attending school is essential to a child’s wellbeing, development, and attainment, and that it is also crucial for their future career success
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