Headteachers have my full support in ensuring schools are safe. Schools are advised by the department that decisions on uniform need to consider their individual circumstances, taking into account both religious freedom and pupil safety.

It should be possible for most religious requirements to be met within a uniform policy and many schools have arrangements in place to allow the wearing of kirpans alongside sensible safeguards, for example limiting their size and requiring them to be sheathed and further enclosed in a securely fastened cushioned pouch.

The department’s advice for schools on developing school uniform policies is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms. The government keeps all its guidance under regular review.

Children aged 5 to 16 are eligible for free travel if they attend their nearest suitable school and cannot walk there because of the distance, their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or route safety. Statutory walking distances are set at 2 miles for children under 8 and 3 miles for those aged 8 and over.

There are extended rights to free travel for children currently eligible for free school meals, to support low-income families to exercise school choice. More detail can be found in the statutory guidance: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a10649929bb11891b1cf096/Travel_to_school_for_children_of_compulsory_school_age.pdf.

For these pupils, 11 to 16 year-olds may receive free travel to one of their three nearest schools between 2 to 6 miles from home, or to a school 2 to 15 miles away chosen on grounds of religion or belief; and the statutory walking distance is set at 2 miles for those aged 8 and over but under 11.

Absence is a key barrier to opportunity. For children to achieve and thrive they need to be in school. The department is committed to improving the attendance of all pupils. Thanks to the efforts of the sector, we saw record improvements in 2024/25 with around 150,000 fewer children persistently absent nationally.

The department publishes figures from the school census on pupil absence in England. The latest data covers the 2024/25 academic year and is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england/2024-25.

Published data for the percentage of pupils classified as persistent absentees (defined as missing 10% or more of possible sessions) in schools in South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset since the 2018/19 academic year is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/87184f2c-0671-4abc-c9f4-08dee0eeb30d.

Full year absence statistics for 2019/20 were not published due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The department is conducting a Data Protection Impact Assessment for the Children Not in School registers provisions in the Act. However, the assessment cannot be completed until the statutory guidance, which we intend to publicly consult on, and secondary legislation is settled.

The department is continuing to engage with the Information Commissioner’s Office on the assessment to ensure that all data protection risks have been identified and mitigated before any processing of data begins.

The department’s reforms are designed to enable all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) including those with dyslexia to succeed.

We are providing £1.6 billion of additional funding to mainstream settings through an Inclusive Mainstream Fund to help settings identify commonly occurring needs and take meaningful steps to improve everyday support. Schools and colleges will also be able to direct funding to develop targeted support for those who need them, such as group interventions, without formal assessment or diagnosis.

Clear statutory duties for schools will also be introduced to identify and meet needs as early as possible and ensure the progress of children and young people is monitored to ensure timely and effective interventions.

To ensure teachers, teaching assistants, support staff and leaders across early years, schools and post-16 settings can be trained to support pupils with special educational needs, we are investing £200 million of new funding to upskill staff and promote an inclusive culture.

We have also introduced a range of measures to support high-quality teaching of reading and writing, including for pupils with SEND and dyslexia and those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme and the publication of both the reading and writing frameworks.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review considered how the curriculum and assessment system can better support the progress and attainment of all pupils, including those with SEND. In its response, the government committed to developing evidence-led resources to support curriculum adaptation, embedding high-quality adaptive teaching and formative assessment throughout teacher training, and working with Ofqual and exam boards to ensure accessibility is fully considered in the development of qualifications, including GCSEs.

We are carefully reviewing and considering all responses submitted to the SEND Reform consultation and continue to engage widely on our proposals. We will publish a response to the consultation in due course and bring forward legislation at the earliest opportunity.

The department recognises both the opportunities and risks presented by generative artificial intelligence in education. Evidence on the direct educational and health implications of pupils using generative AI is still emerging, and we continue to work with the education sector, experts and other government departments to build our understanding of safe and effective use. The department has set out its position on generative AI in education, which states that we see fewer risks from staff use of generative AI, as well as the need for schools to protect pupil and staff data, manage safeguarding and online safety risks, and ensure that AI use supports, rather than replaces, professional judgement. We have also published free support materials for schools and colleges to help staff and leaders use AI safely and effectively.

For unauthorised school absences during the 2024/25 academic year, Bath and North East Somerset issued 1,014 penalty notices and South Gloucestershire issued 2,043 penalty notices.

A new national framework for penalty notices came into effect from August 2024 designed to embed our support-first approach and improve consistency and fairness across the country.

Our statutory guidance on attendance makes clear that legal intervention, including prosecution, should only be considered where support has been exhausted, not engaged with or, in the cases of term-time holidays, is not appropriate. The guidance sets out clear expectations on how schools, local authorities and wider services should work together to support attendance for all children.

The department publishes figures from the school census on pupil absence in England. The latest data covers the academic year 2024/25 and is available on GOV.UK.

Published data for the percentage of pupils classified as persistent absentees (defined as missing 10% or more of possible sessions) since the 2018/19 academic year is shown below.

Source: School Census

Full-year absence statistics for 2019/20 were not published due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tackling absence is at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. The pandemic had a significant impact on attendance across the country, with persistent absence rates roughly doubling. Attendance has been improving year on year, though persistent absence remains above pre-pandemic levels.

The causes of persistent absence are complex and often overlapping. They include physical and mental ill health, special educational needs and disabilities, disadvantage, insecure housing, transport difficulties and other practical barriers.

Persistent absence is substantially higher among disadvantaged pupils. In the 2024/25 academic year, 32.35% of pupils eligible for free school meals were persistently absent, compared with 12.10% for pupils who are not eligible.

Absence also has a significant effect on attainment. Departmental analysis found that pupils who miss just 10 days in Year 11 have around half the odds of achieving grade 5 in English and mathematics compared with otherwise similar pupils. However, measures taken by the government and the sector are having an effect. In 2024/25 pupils attended over 5 million more days than in the previous year, and around 150,000 fewer children were persistently absent.

Tackling absence is at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. The pandemic had a significant impact on attendance across the country, with persistent absence rates roughly doubling. Attendance has been improving year on year, though persistent absence remains above pre-pandemic levels.

The causes of persistent absence are complex and often overlapping. They include physical and mental ill health, special educational needs and disabilities, disadvantage, insecure housing, transport difficulties and other practical barriers.

Persistent absence is substantially higher among disadvantaged pupils. In the 2024/25 academic year, 32.35% of pupils eligible for free school meals were persistently absent, compared with 12.10% for pupils who are not eligible.

Absence also has a significant effect on attainment. Departmental analysis found that pupils who miss just 10 days in Year 11 have around half the odds of achieving grade 5 in English and mathematics compared with otherwise similar pupils. However, measures taken by the government and the sector are having an effect. In 2024/25 pupils attended over 5 million more days than in the previous year, and around 150,000 fewer children were persistently absent.

Tackling absence is at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. The pandemic had a significant impact on attendance across the country, with persistent absence rates roughly doubling. Attendance has been improving year on year, though persistent absence remains above pre-pandemic levels.

The causes of persistent absence are complex and often overlapping. They include physical and mental ill health, special educational needs and disabilities, disadvantage, insecure housing, transport difficulties and other practical barriers.

Persistent absence is substantially higher among disadvantaged pupils. In the 2024/25 academic year, 32.35% of pupils eligible for free school meals were persistently absent, compared with 12.10% for pupils who are not eligible.

Absence also has a significant effect on attainment. Departmental analysis found that pupils who miss just 10 days in Year 11 have around half the odds of achieving grade 5 in English and mathematics compared with otherwise similar pupils. However, measures taken by the government and the sector are having an effect. In 2024/25 pupils attended over 5 million more days than in the previous year, and around 150,000 fewer children were persistently absent.

Tackling absence is at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. The pandemic had a significant impact on attendance across the country, with persistent absence rates roughly doubling. Attendance has been improving year on year, though persistent absence remains above pre-pandemic levels.

The causes of persistent absence are complex and often overlapping. They include physical and mental ill health, special educational needs and disabilities, disadvantage, insecure housing, transport difficulties and other practical barriers.

Persistent absence is substantially higher among disadvantaged pupils. In the 2024/25 academic year, 32.35% of pupils eligible for free school meals were persistently absent, compared with 12.10% for pupils who are not eligible.

Absence also has a significant effect on attainment. Departmental analysis found that pupils who miss just 10 days in Year 11 have around half the odds of achieving grade 5 in English and mathematics compared with otherwise similar pupils. However, measures taken by the government and the sector are having an effect. In 2024/25 pupils attended over 5 million more days than in the previous year, and around 150,000 fewer children were persistently absent.

The government recognises outdoor opportunities as a valuable part of the childhood experiences we want all children and young people to have.

Participation in enrichment activities can be associated with a range of positive outcomes, including wellbeing, life satisfaction and better mental health.

Our enrichment framework, published on 15 June, sets an expectation that all schools and colleges should offer a broad and well-rounded enrichment offer. Access to nature, outdoors and adventure, including camps, is specifically identified as one of the five areas that offers should cover as a minimum and highlights examples of offers including residentials.

The department is supporting the provision of more opportunities through the £132 million ‘Every Child Can’ programme and will be supporting 400 schools in deprived areas to develop offers in line with the benchmarks through our £22.5 million Enrichment Enhancement Programme. We will also be working to grow provision in areas where access is limited, working with Baroness Grey-Thompson as enrichment ambassador for this area.

Regular attendance, engagement in learning and educational success can support positive mental health and wellbeing, while poor mental health can act as a barrier to attendance and attainment.

Evidence shows that children and young people with higher levels of wellbeing, on average, achieve better academic outcomes and are more engaged in their education. Conversely, mental health difficulties are associated with lower educational attainment, including poorer GCSE outcomes.

Evidence also indicates that children and young people with a probable mental disorder are around seven times more likely to have missed more than 15 days of school than those unlikely to have a mental disorder.

This is why the government is expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) to cover every school and college by 2029, providing early support for children and young people with emerging mental health needs. As of March 2026, 60% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England are covered by an MHST, up from 52% in March 2025. We are also working with schools, trusts and local authorities to improve attendance, recognising that supporting pupils' wellbeing and mental health is an important part of helping more children attend and succeed in education.

The department is determined to do more to improve the life chances of our most disadvantaged children and to break the link between background and future success.

The ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ Schools White Paper establishes the departments plan to improve the outcomes of all children. When children born under this government finish secondary school, it is our ambition that all children achieve higher standards and the KS4 disadvantage gap will be halved. This equates to 30,000 more disadvantaged young people passing their English and maths GCSEs than today.

The department’s approach to tackle this disadvantage gap is comprehensive: rebuilding early family support, reforming how disadvantage funding is allocated and boosting its impact to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, improving teacher recruitment and retention so every child benefits from high-quality teaching, broadening the curriculum alongside access to high-quality enrichment, and launching two place-based missions, Mission North East and Mission Coastal, to drive improvement in areas where outcomes remain stubbornly low.

Mental Health Support Teams (MHST’s) are expected to work collaboratively with local authorities and local education settings as part of a whole-system approach to improving school attendance. The MHST role is to support early identification and intervention for common mental health needs that may be contributing to absence, and to support education staff in implementing plans to reduce absence.

The Department for Education’s Working Together to Improve School Attendance statutory guidance is clear that schools and local authorities should work collaboratively with other partners, including MSHTs, to facilitate support for pupils and remove mental health-related barriers to attendance.