Attendance continues to rise but heads call for clearer guidance for schools

Pupil absence rates have fallen over the past two weeks, with the lowest levels of Covid-related absence seen this year, according to the latest Government data.

Absence rates for pupils fell, with 181,600 pupils off for Covid-related reasons in total on February 10 (2.2%), down from 3.9% on February 3.

An estimated 135,600 pupils were off with a confirmed case of Covid-19, 1.7%, compared with 3.1% on February 3.

Levels of pupils off with a confirmed case have fallen to below where they were on January 6, when 159,000 pupils were absent with a confirmed case.

The proportion of staff absent for Covid-related reasons also fell, with 7.5% of teachers and school leaders off compared with 9.1% on February 3.

In total, 2.8% of teachers and school leaders were absent for Covid-related reasons on February 10 compared with 4.4% on February 3.

Heads have called for clearer guidance for schools following the Government announcement of a relaxation of Covid restrictions on Monday.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union, NAHT, said: “Everyone is sincerely hoping that the two weeks of improved pupil attendance figures we’ve seen will be a continued trend.”

“But to ensure that, the Government needs to do more to explain to the public the actions they are now supposed to be taking to keep themselves and others safe,” he added.

“Although the legal responsibility for testing and isolation has been removed, we all still have a personal responsibility to keep each other safe. Schools and families will still need to co-operate to minimise disruption and keep schools open.

“Parents and carers need to know what to do when a child has Covid, and that should be made clear by government, not left up to individual schools.”

“Free access to lateral flow tests is vital. Charging for them disproportionately impacts children and workers from disadvantaged backgrounds,” he said.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We’re pleased to see rates of pupil and staff absence caused by Covid are decreasing, and we very much hope that this means a corner has been turned in what has been a very difficult first half of the spring term.”

He added heads were concerned that the Government’s “living with Covid plan, and the lifting of virtually all control measures, does run the risk of causing a new wave of transmission and disruption in our schools and colleges”.

“We hope that is not the case, but vigilance is important,” he said.

“Schools and colleges have weathered a very tough half term with extremely high rates of pupil and staff absence caused by the virus, and they deserve enormous credit for all they have done to keep education going.”