Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to a report from Child of the North and the Centre for Young Lives, which calls for a new era of school inclusion and belonging to tackle the attendance crisis.
“We completely agree that early intervention is key to improving attendance at school. The most recent pupil absence data shows that, even with a slight improvement in overall attendance, the number of severely absent pupils continues to rise. There is clearly a significant group of pupils finding it difficult to attend school with any kind of regularity and we have to be able to find a way of helping them before this situation transpires.
“It cannot be left to schools alone to provide support for children who will be experiencing a range of issues. We agree with the need for central and local government to ensure that education, healthcare and social services are funded appropriately in order to provide a network of support for children and young people facing complex challenges.
“ASCL supports a systemic change that strengthens and rewards the inclusivity of schools and their efforts to foster a sense of belonging for all young people, particularly those who are living with disadvantage or struggling to attend.”