HfL Education programme to tackle student absences

HFL Education has created a boxset of peer-to-peer webinars in an attempt to tackle student absences.

The boxset will feature school and trust leaders who will share the strategies and practices that worked to resolve issues around term time holidays, emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), persistent absence and parental support.

They will also talk about their experiences of supporting children with SEND needs and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, who are more likely to be absent from school.

According to last year's data gathered by DfE, over 20 per cent of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10 per cent or more of their possible sessions) in the academic year 2022/23. The overall absence rate was 7.5 per cent for the year, with pupils eligible for school meals and young people with an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) or requiring SEN support were the most affected groups.

HFL Education’s Liz Shapland, co-director of education, said: “We want to see every child flourishing and getting a great education, but sadly that’s not the case for a growing number of students in primary, secondary and special school settings and the reasons for this are incredibly varied and diverse."

She added: “With the series, school leaders can hear practical guidance and listen to real world examples from their peers of strategies that address the main issues associated with pupil absence.

"Using this knowledge, schools can then create a strategy for their own setting to change the culture to one where every day matters, and to provide targeted support for groups of children who have additional challenges to overcome to attend class on a regular basis.”

To book your place on the webinar, visit the HFL website here.