What are ‘ghost children’ and why is faculty attendance significant?

University is the finest ecosystem for pupils to find out in. Currently being in school helps preserve small children harmless and supports them to attain their potential, while currently being surrounded by teachers and good friends.

Which is why we’re committed to tackling the components triggering small children to skip school. Right here, we tell you what you have to have to know about faculty attendance.  

What are ‘ghost children’?                                                                               

‘Ghost children’ is not an official authorities expression, but the media frequently takes advantage of it to refer to youngsters who are not routinely attending university.

When the media refer to ghost small children, they may signify small children of college age, who are not registered pupils at a college and not acquiring suitable education, these types of as ample home-schooling.

The media may possibly also consist of children who are registered at college but are persistently or severely absent.

What about youngsters who are persistently or severely absent?

Kids who are registered at a faculty but frequently are unsuccessful to transform up are officially referred to as currently being ‘persistently’ or ‘severely’ absent.

The faculty working day is split in to two classes – a single session counts as a early morning or afternoon put in in college. Pupils who have skipped more than 10% of university periods are persistently absent, even though little ones who have missed additional than 50% of college sessions are seriously absent.

It is encouraging that the range of absent pupils has fallen because the pandemic, but there is however perform to do. That is why we’re introducing steps to make improvements to school attendance.

What are we accomplishing to strengthen university attendance?

We’ve published new assistance on how educational facilities, trusts and nearby authorities ought to do the job collectively to offer greater whole-loved ones assist to deal with the motives for absence.

As of September 2022, faculties, academy trusts, neighborhood authorities and the authorities now have obtain to a facts visualisation tool to make it much easier for instructors to analyse attendance, look at to many others in their region and across England, spot troubles and intervene sooner.

We’re also instruction attendance advisors to get the job done with the community authorities and trusts that want help obtaining persistently absent pupils in the area space back again into college.

This 12 months we introduced a 1-2-1 mentoring pilot in Middlesbrough aimed at tackling the factors driving non-attendance. The pilot will increase to provide tailor-made help to in excess of 1,600 persistently and severely absent pupils over a a few-yr time period.

Produced by the Department for Instruction, an alliance of countrywide leaders from instruction, children’s social care and other services is also collaborating to appear up with methods to strengthen school attendance.

Why is attendance vital?

Staying in school is significant to your child’s achievement, wellbeing, and wider progress. Evidence shows that the college students with the greatest attendance in the course of their time in faculty gain the greatest GCSE and A level outcomes.

Our analysis uncovered that pupils who executed far better each at the conclusion of major and secondary school missed fewer days than individuals who didn’t accomplish as perfectly. For instance, knowledge from 2019 shows that 84% of Vital Stage 2 pupils who experienced 100% attendance achieved the anticipated standard, compared to 40% of pupils who were being persistently absent across the crucial phase.

How is attendance for kids who are dwelling-schooled calculated?

If you choose your boy or girl out of faculty to teach them at dwelling, your neighborhood authority will start building enquiries as to whether that schooling is suited.

Now, local authorities are inspired to maintain a record of children in the location who are educated somewhere other than at a school. We strategy to make it compulsory for neighborhood authorities to do this.

When most home education and learning is of great quality, this will enable us spot and help kids where by their schooling falls brief, producing absolutely sure all kids have the possibility to understand and thrive.