Commenting on new research from NFER suggesting a link between deteriorating pupil wellbeing and rates of persistent school absence, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“Getting pupil wellbeing and engagement right is essential to the government's White Paper proposals and its reforms to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). A more inclusive mainstream depends on pupils feeling safe and supported. Yet pupils with an education, health and care plan are twice as likely to be persistently absent as their peers, a gap the report does not address.
“Pupils in the study said the academic and social pressures of school harmed their wellbeing, and identified bullying – including online bullying – as a factor in absence. OECD data show pupils in England report more bullying than the international average. The message is clear: schools must listen to pupils and act on their concerns, including on curriculum and testing pressures.
“The report calls for properly resourced services to work alongside schools. We agree. The Experts at Hand initiative needs more money and child and adolescent mental health services are at breaking point. The effect of the under-16 social media ban must also be monitored.
“The new Secretary of State must connect attendance policy, SEND reform and investment in young people's mental health, so that every pupil belongs in a safe and supportive school and the decline in wellbeing is reversed.”