Threatening parents with fines 'does not reduce school absence rates'

The threat of fines can be "a trigger for a breakdown" in relationships between schools and parents

Threatening parents with "punitive" fines when their child misses school does not reduce absences, the former children’s commissioner for England has said. Anne Longfield suggests a "more inclusive" school environment could better address attendance issues, rather than adhering to a "one-size-fits-all" method.

In the wake of a report by the Centre for Young Lives think tank and the Child of the North initiative, headteachers are pointing out that pre-pandemic methods for tackling pupil absence no longer hold the same efficacy. The report indicates fines can often lead to a "a trigger for a breakdown" in the relationship between schools and families.

Highlighting innovative approaches to improve attendance, the paper describes alternative programs such as the use of a telepresence robot which takes the place of an absent student in class, allowing them to participate live from home. A pilot project using these AV1 robots in Wirral schools showed promising results in boosting attendance and engagement levels.

Ms Longfield, now executive chair of the Centre for Young Lives, asserts: "The reasons why children miss school are often complex and there is no silver bullet. However, the one-size-fits-all and often punitive approach that previous Governments have taken to tackle absence needs to be consigned to the past."

In her conclusion, she said: "Simply, threatening parents with fines is not working for many families and not reducing severe absence rates."

Parents in England have been warned they could face steeper fines if they take their children out of school without permission this year, as part of a Government initiative to improve attendance following the Covid-19 pandemic. The cost of school absence fines has risen from £60 to £80 under new changes, and any parent who receives a second fine for the same child within a three-year period will automatically be hit with a £160 fine.

If a parent exceeds two fines per child within a three-year period, further actions such as a parenting order or prosecution may be considered, and those prosecuted could face a fine of up to £2,500. The report urges the Government to focus its school absence strategy on earlier identification and intervention with children most at risk of absence.

This comes after recent figures suggested that the number of pupils in England missing at least half of possible school sessions is on the rise. Approximately 158,000 pupils were "severely absent" over the autumn and spring terms of 2023-24, compared to 139,000 over the same period in 2022-23, according to data from the Department for Education (DfE).

The report, which explored various ways to boost school attendance, indicated that rates of unauthorised absence were 34% higher in the North of England than in the South. Persistent non-attendance rates were 20.7% in the 2023-24 academic year, increasing to 37% for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and 35.7% for those receiving free school meals, the paper revealed.

Ms Longfield emphasised: "The crucial message this report puts forward is the need to intervene early and to build a sense of belonging and inclusion in schools. Investing early in supporting children at risk of disengagement from education is the best way of preventing problems further down the line and no child should ever think that school isn’t for them."

Camilla Kingdon, former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: "I find the data presented in this report terrifying. I am struck not just by the simple enormity of how many children are not in school, but the clear evidence of how unfair this is.

"Why should a child who lives in the North of England be at significantly higher risk of disengaging with the education system? How can it be that a child on free school meals is so much more likely to persistently miss school? Why are young carers finding it so difficult to engage with full-time education?

"Each of these groups represents part of our future and we cannot let them down in the ways described in this report."

Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: "There is clearly a significant group of pupils finding it difficult to attend school with any kind of regularity and we have to be able to find a way of helping them before this situation transpires."

He added the responsibility should not fall solely on schools: "It cannot be left to schools alone to provide support for children who will be experiencing a range of issues. ASCL supports a systemic change that strengthens and rewards the inclusivity of schools and their efforts to foster a sense of belonging for all young people, particularly those who are living with disadvantage or struggling to attend."