Commenting as Labour use Wednesday’s King’s Speech debate to warn of a “lost generation of children” in England, as new analysis lays bare the scale of the persistent absence challenge facing schools across the country, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said:

“It is vital that all children attend school properly – everyone agrees that is the case and there is no doubt that more needs to be done to tackle the current issues we are seeing when it comes to school attendance.

“The reasons for persistent absence can be complex and are often beyond a school’s expertise or ability to solve. We agree with Labour that mental health is a particular barrier for many pupils, and that far more needs to be done to support pupils, schools, and families.

“Unfortunately, mental health services, along with education and other support services, have been decimated by lack of funding, and timely support simply isn’t there when needed. In recent years the government has started investing in children’s mental health services, but we need this work to be expanded more rapidly so every child can access the support they need.

“Ultimately, tackling the issue of attendance requires a multi-agency approach and properly funded and resourced dedicated and specialist teams to work directly with pupils who frequently miss school to understand and solve the issues they are facing.”