Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 36
36
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 167
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils face significant attendance barriers requiring targeted support.
Conclusion
There is clear evidence to suggest pupils from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community face significant barriers to attendance. Whilst the Department is aware of this, not enough is being done to support this pupil cohort, and community interventions are filling the gap in localised areas. Whilst the Department does not usually provide targeted interventions for specific ethnic minority groups, for this pupil cohort, it is evident that it is needed to improve their persistently poor outcomes on attendance.
Government Response Summary
The Department will continue to convene the GRT Stakeholder group termly, engage them on attendance issues, and develop a good practice webinar focused on meeting GRT pupils' attendance needs.
Paragraph Reference:
167
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Department will continue to convene the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller Stakeholder group on a termly basis to provide support, scrutiny and insight regarding the experiences of GRT communities across the range of the Department’s policy responsibilities, including attendance. We have recently engaged this group on the use of the ‘T’ absence code and children missing education, including holding a workshop to gather views on the questions posed in our call for evidence on children missing education. The Department will share and test policy responses developed out of the call for evidence with the group. The Department will also develop a good practice webinar focused on meeting the needs of GRT pupils in relation to school attendance.