School absence and parental engagement

Persistent and severe absence is a growing concern in UK secondary schools. Recent Department for Education (DfE) data shows that severe absence rates have significantly increased since 2018/19, with 3.5% of secondary students now classified as severely absent. Persistent absence, although slightly improved, remains high at 22.7%.

Paul Jenkins, our Head of Secondary Curriculum Services, recently contributed to SecEd magazine, exploring practical strategies for improving student attendance through effective parental engagement.

To read the full article and learn more about how parental engagement can tackle school absence effectively, visit SecEd's website:

School absence and parental engagement: seven approaches