First Special Report - Persistent absence and support for disadvantaged pupils: Government response to the Committee’s Seventh Report

This is the government's response, published 6 December 2023.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The Government states that it "accepts the majority of the committee's recommendations" and has provided its rationale where it does not accept others.

• On daily attendance data, the Department agrees with the aim of 100% of state-funded schools sharing data and intends to introduce regulations to mandate participation "no sooner than September 2024", subject to continued engagement and "the usual parliamentary procedures".
• The Government agrees the attendance guidance should be made statutory, but says it will legislate "when parliamentary time allows".
• It does not accept ring-fenced funding for local authority attendance work, saying core functions "can and should" be funded through the Central School Services Block, and "cautious" on a national roll-out of attendance mentors pending evaluation of the pilot.
• It does not believe a cross-government assessment of pupil mental health is "necessary at this time", and has "concerns" that a separate mental health absence code is "unhelpful in practice".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error