Minister warns parents on school attendance ahead of new term

Education Secretary Warns Parents Over Risks of Poor School Attendance

As pupils return to classrooms this week, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has urged parents to ensure children attend school from the very start of term, warning that missing just a few days early on can lead to long-term absence.

New Department for Education (DfE) figures, seen by the BBC, show that more than half of pupils who skipped part of the first week in 2024 went on to become persistently absent — compared to just 14% of pupils who attended consistently.

“What we hear is that children who miss a day or two in the first two weeks of school are more likely to be persistently absent,” Phillipson said. “They’re more likely not to be going to school on a regular basis, and that has real implications for their futures. Parents, schools and government must work together to get children off to the best start possible.”

Persistent absence has become one of the most pressing challenges in education since the pandemic. In 2024–25, 18% of pupils were persistently absent — an improvement from the pandemic-era peak of 23% in 2021–22, but still far higher than the pre-Covid average of 11%.

Head teachers say attendance remains fragile. Karl Stewart, head of Shaftesbury Junior School in Leicester, said his school had worked hard to rebuild attendance since the pandemic, using class competitions and awards to encourage pupils. “The results are just better when children are in every day,” he said. “If you’re here, it gives your teacher more time to notice you, to recognise positive behaviour and hard work. That’s what we want.”

But challenges persist. Some families continue to take term-time holidays for cheaper rates, while others travel abroad for medical care to avoid NHS waiting lists.

The government has introduced fines of up to £80 for unauthorised absences of five days or more. Phillipson said fines remain “an important backstop,” but stressed that schools should adopt a “support-first” approach, working with families when wider issues, such as mental health or anxiety, are affecting attendance.

To strengthen support, 800 schools will receive targeted help from new “attendance and behaviour hubs.” These will be led by 90 high-performing schools, with 21 already selected to mentor struggling institutions.

However, education leaders warned the hubs will not solve the issue alone. Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said schools need faster access to mental health services and more specialist teachers. “So many of the challenges come from outside the classroom walls,” he said.

Shadow education secretary Laura Trott echoed concerns, warning that poor behaviour and attendance remain among the biggest threats to learning. “It’s about time the government intervened,” she said. “There must be concrete consequences for bad conduct to protect other pupils’ learning — and recognition that sometimes mainstream education isn’t the right place for those causing disruption.”

Phillipson insists that tackling absence will remain at the top of her agenda:
“Every day of school missed is a day taken from a child’s future. We need parents and schools to double down on the enthusiasm and tenacity that has already improved the life chances of millions of children.”