Commenting on a new report out from Public First today (Thurs 21 Sept), revealing the change in parental attitudes to attendance since the pandemic, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: “Attendance is a concern for school leaders – especially given that more disadvantaged pupils are much more likely to miss school regularly.

“Schools absolutely have a role to play in encouraging good attendance, but the reality is they cannot address the issue alone. The government has said tackling pupil absence is a major priority, but we haven’t seen the level of resources required to turn the current situation around.

“A decade of cuts has seen the teams that used to support schools with attendance decimated, and large parts of the country do not benefit from either the government’s attendance hubs, or its pilot mentoring programme for those pupils absent most often.

“The government really does need to redouble its efforts and commit the necessary resources to tackle this issue. In particular, there needs to be greater investment in specialist teams which work directly with pupils who frequently miss school and their families.

“What the government cannot do is expect schools to solve this problem without appropriate support.”