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<p>Regular attendance at school is vital for children’s education, wellbeing, and
long-term development. School attendance is mandatory, and parents have a duty, under
Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 to ensure that their child of compulsory age (5-16)
receives an efficient full-time education either by attendance at school or otherwise.</p><p>The
department appreciates that barriers to attendance are wide and complex, particularly
for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Addressing these
requires strong relationships and close working between families, schools, local authorities,
and other relevant local services. This is the intention of the attendance clauses
in the Schools Bill.</p><p> </p><p>The Bill will put the department’s new attendance
guidance ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ onto a statutory footing.
This will ensure greater consistency in the attendance support offered to pupils and
families, regardless of where in the country they live, and emphasises the importance
of providing attendance support in an earlier and more targeted way to respond to
pupils’ individual needs.</p><p> </p><p>The new guidance makes it clear that schools
should develop and maintain a whole school culture that promotes the benefits of attendance,
whilst recognising the interplay between attendance and wider school improvement efforts,
such as strategies on mental health, wellbeing, and SEND. Schools will be expected
to have sensitive conversations with pupils about their needs and work with families
to develop specific support approaches for pupils with SEND. This includes establishing
strategies for removing in-school barriers to attendance, ensuring attendance data
of this group of pupils is regularly monitored to spot patterns and provide support
earlier, including ensuring joined-up pastoral care is in place and referring pupils
to support from other services and partners where necessary.</p><p> </p><p>These expectations,
alongside the expectations placed on academy trust boards, governing bodies, and local
authorities to work in conjunction with school staff to provide joined-up support
for all pupils and families, will ensure that pupils with SEND are supported to attend
school regularly.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside the new expectations in the Schools Bill,
the department is currently consulting on proposed changes we want to make to the
SEND and alternative provision (AP) system in England.</p><p> </p><p>The Special Educational
Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Green Paper, which is
open for public consultation until 22 July 2022, sets out the department’s proposals
for a system that offers children and young people the opportunity to thrive, with
access to the right support, in the right place, and at the right time.</p><p> </p>
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