Tackling Blackpool’s School Attendance Crisis
I welcome the government’s commitment to improving outcomes for children in Blackpool. School pupils here will soon benefit from the support of specialist attendance mentors as the government ramps up work to tackle the epidemic of school absence.
New data from the Department for Education shows that one in 34 children in Blackpool miss at least half of their lessons. 2.9% pupils locally were severely absent in the spring term last year – up significantly from 1.1% in 2018-19.
Nationally, persistent absence has increased since the pandemic, with around one in five pupils across the country currently missing 10% or more of school.
£15 million has been committed to expand the investment and reach of attendance mentoring and reach 10,000 more children. The funding will cover 10 areas with some of the worst attendance rates across the country including Blackpool, Hartlepool and Rochdale.
Attendance mentors provide one-to-one support to persistently absent pupils including those with SEND or mental ill health to break down the barriers to attendance, getting them back in the classroom, learning and thriving. On recent school visits I have heard first hand about the challenges in Blackpool, and this individual support is much needed here.
“For too long persistent absence has held back young people across the country and denied them the life chances that they deserve”
Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said tackling the national epidemic of school absence is “non-negotiable if we are to break down the barriers to opportunity so many young people face.
“For too long persistent absence has held back young people across the country and denied them the life chances that they deserve: this government is gripping this generational challenge facing our schools.
“This significant new investment will help thousands of children back into the classroom and marks an important step towards truly turning the tide on persistent absence, helping us drive high and rising standards in every school.”
Pupils on the programme will be supported for a period of 12 to 20 weeks and will have a specific plan to help them, developed by the mentor. They may be shown techniques to manage anxious feelings, develop confidence and self-esteem, establish more consistent routines at home and will be supported to access support from wider services.
The programme has already been successfully piloted and has supported pupils with a wide range of challenges including low-level anxiety, special educational needs, poor attitude to learning and complex family circumstances. The pilot evaluation showed improvements in individual pupils' attendance, wellbeing, home routines, and engagement at school.
Children's Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza said:
“Children tell me all the time that they want to be in school, so this investment is a welcome step in addressing some of the barriers to attendance. These barriers are varied and complex: unmet mental health or SEND needs, family commitments such as being a young carer, or a disengagement from school that needs special care to resolve.
“I remain deeply concerned by the rate of severe and persistent absences, which have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. Attendance mentors can be an important part of the solution, by being a trusted person working closely with children and their families.”
The government is committed to tackling the root causes of absence including by providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every secondary school, introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary and ensuring earlier intervention in mainstream schools for pupils with special needs.
If you’re passionate about supporting young people in Blackpool to achieve better attendance outcomes, you can apply to become an attendance mentor or manager here.
