Unauthorised school absences in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin have almost doubled since Covid

New figures from the Department for Education show 49,000 of 3.8 million school sessions were missed without permission by pupils in Shropshire. It meant children in the area had an unauthorised absence rate of 1.3 per cent.

In the 2018 to 2019 spring term, the unauthorised absence rate was 0.7 per cent, meaning it has almost doubled during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Association for School and College Leaders (ASCL) said attendance is "one of the biggest challenges" schools must face, with several complex factors contributing to the problem.

Julie McCulloch, director of policy at the ASCL, said these complex factors include mental health issues – exacerbated by the pandemic – as well as a lack of support for children with special educational needs, schools lacking resources to deal with them, and the cost of living crisis, with 30 per cent of children growing up in poverty.

"It will take concerted government action to address these issues, all of which are linked to high levels of pupil absence, and ensure all children are getting the support they need at the right time," she added.

The overall absence rate has also risen across the country, from 4.8 per cent in the 2018 to 2019 spring term to 7 per cent last year.

In Shropshire, 249,000 school sessions – 6.6 per cent – were missed in the latest spring term.

Meanwhile, Department for Education figures show 63,000 of 2.9 million school sessions were missed without permission by pupils in Telford and Wrekin. It meant children in the area had an unauthorised absence rate of 2.1 per cent.

In the 2018 to 2019 spring term, the unauthorised absence rate was 1.2 per cent, meaning it has increased by 75 per cent during the coronavirus pandemic.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "The vast majority of children are in school and learning, and we are taking action to increase attendance because it is vital for a child’s education, wellbeing and future life chances.

"We have expanded our attendance hubs, which will support more than 400,000 pupils across 14 hubs and provided a toolkit for schools about communicating with parents on this issue.

"Our mentoring programme, delivered by Barnardo’s, sees trained mentors work directly with 1,665 persistently and severely absent children and their families to understand and overcome the barriers to attendance and support them back into school."