- Mental health is main cause of rising absences in England, say headteachers
The Covid pandemic has led to a significant increase in school absences, with nearly nine out of 10 secondary school leaders reporting a marked rise in pupils missing school due to mental health issues.
The majority of these leaders believe that the government’s plan to raise fines for parents in England would not make a difference.
Children in years 9 and 10 have faced the most challenges, as they were the most disrupted by the pandemic and were impacted by Sure Start centres and children’s centres being closed.
The economic situation has also compounded the absence problem, with 150,000 children at state schools in England being classified as severely absent last year, 150% higher than the 60,000 who were severely absent in 2018-19 before the pandemic.
Schools are adapting to the surge in mental health concerns, with some rebranding traditional medical or sickrooms as “attendance support rooms” to help pupils return to lessons.
Some schools are using data from attendance software to monitor which lessons and subjects cause particular pupils to feel uneasy, allowing staff to anticipate and encourage them back to class.
However, feedback from 500 schools found that parents have become “unduly cautious” in keeping their children off school, with some away for entire weeks instead of one or two days.
