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Written question asked by Saqib Bhatti (Conservative) on Wednesday, 10 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 15 June 2026. It was answered by Olivia Bailey (Labour) on Friday, 19 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Pupils: Absenteeism

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what measures is she taking to address absenteeism, particularly relating to white working-class pupils.

Answer

Absence is a key barrier to opportunity. For children to achieve and thrive, they need to be in school.

The department’s real-time data tools and attendance toolkits help schools and local authorities to identify the drivers of absence and adopt effective practice to improve attendance. In January, we launched our new regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) Attendance and Behaviour hubs, which can support over 3000 schools, including enhanced support for up to 500 schools.

We recognise that white working-class children have among the highest overall absence rates. The white paper sets out our plans to support this group, including rebuilding early family support, designing a new model for targeting disadvantage funding, and developing insights into the relationships between white working-class children and families with schools, in order to strengthen parental engagement.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
8876
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Absenteeism Pupils
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk