Recommendation 8

The Department recognised that continued school attendance was an important way of safeguarding and supporting vulnerable children while schools were closed to most pupils. However, the proportion of children defined as in need under the Children Act 1989, or with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, who attended school or college remained below 11% from 23 March to late May, and reached a weekly average of 26% by the end of the summer term.11