Key facts
- Nearly one in five children in England and Wales are missing at least 10% of school.
- Teachers report skepticism about the efficiency of holiday fines and the value of full school attendance.
- An estimated 42,000 16- and 17-year-olds in England attend college less than half the time.
- A record 492,825 penalty notices for unauthorized absences were issued to parents in England in 2024-25.
- Teachers feel schools are overburdened with responsibilities beyond education, including mental health and social care.
Teachers in England and Wales are expressing significant doubts about the effectiveness of current school attendance policies and the perceived value of full-time schooling, according to a report based on in-depth conversations with educators. Many frontline staff indicated they would take their own children on term-time holidays if possible, citing cost savings and the belief that such experiences could be more beneficial than attending school during less engaging periods.
The report, titled "A Crisis of Disengagement," compiled by youth charity Impetus and policy research firm Public First, involved discussions with 62 secondary school staff from schools with high proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals. These educators described the effort to track pupil attendance as "relentless" and suggested that occasional absences were less concerning than sustained disengagement from education.
While some staff view fines for unauthorized absences as a necessary tool, many believe they damage trust and undermine the crucial relationships needed to re-engage families with schools. A record 492,825 penalty notices were issued in England in the 2024-25 academic year, a significant increase from pre-pandemic levels. Researchers have previously noted a "seismic shift" in attitudes towards attendance since Covid-19, with concerns that some parents no longer prioritize full-time schooling.
Compounding these issues, teachers highlighted challenges such as inadequate mental health support, unmet special educational needs, and a scarcity of social workers, leading to schools becoming a de facto "one-stop shop" for various social and emotional support services. The report also draws on warnings from children's commissioner Rachel de Souza about a substantial number of "hidden Neets" – young people not in education, employment, or training – with analysis suggesting that approximately 42,000 16- and 17-year-olds in English colleges attend less than half the time.
Discussion