COVID-related school absences increase
COVID related school absence rose from 3.9% to 5.1% in the two weeks from 6 to 20 January 2022, official figures have revealed.
Department for Education attendance statistics showed that the proportion of students attending school was 87.4% on 20 January, down from 88.6% on 6 January.
“We estimate that 9.0% of teachers and school leaders [...]
Children’s commissioner launches inquiry into school absence rates
A new inquiry into pupil absence from school has been launched by the children’s commissioner for England.
Dame Rachel de Souza said even taking disruption caused by COVID into account, there are too many children on school rolls who are persistently absent, and whose absence is insufficiently understood.
The children’s commissioner’s office will work with a [...]
Ofsted: Vulnerable children ‘disappeared from sight’ in lockdown
There were significantly lower levels of referrals to children’s social care this year as vulnerable children at risk of harm or neglect “disappeared from teachers’ line of sight”, Ofsted’s annual report has said.
While the long-term effects of school closures are not yet known, the Ofsted report says that nearly all children in England have [...]
UASC three years behind educationally by GCSE level
Unaccompanied asylum seeking children are up to three years behind with their education by the time they sit their GCSE exams, a new study has shown.
Little has been known about the outcomes of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, resettled refugees or asylum support children who enter the English school system, as the government does not record [...]
Further rise in children being home schooled
There has been a 7% rise in the number of children being home schooled in the last year, according to a survey by the Association of Directors of Children’s Services.
Local authorities in England were surveyed using data from the first school Census Day of the academic year on 7 October. It found 81,196 children [...]
Education system ‘not working’ for autistic children
The education system in England is “simply not working for autistic children,” the National Autistic Society has warned.
Parents are facing years-long battles to get support for their autistic children and the government needs to address this it its upcoming review of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, due in the Spring.
Caroline Stevens, [...]
