Schools

Information watchdog sounds alarm over live school attendance tracker

DfE failed to properly assess risk of collection of pupil data now used by 14,000 schools nationwide, says ICO

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
Schools

29 areas vie for spots on council academy trust pilot

Only a third of councils which applied are likely to be able to join the pilot launching their own...

Tom Belger
Tom Belger
Schools

DfE adviser calls for dozens of attendance hubs

Trust CEO Rob Tarn wants DfE funding so other schools can follow North Shore Academy's lead in launching attendance...

Tom Belger
Tom Belger
Schools

Middlesbrough gets help to tackle absences

Tackling persistent absence has become a key priority for ministers after rates soared during the pandemic

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
Schools

DfE orders e-registers and sets new thresholds for absence fines

Schools to be told to modernise the way they collect and record attendance data as government plans absence crackdown

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
Schools

DfE hiring up to 8 more advisers to oversee attendance push

A handful of councils alone have slashed more attendance staff than the DfE plans to recruit

Tom Belger
Tom Belger
Schools

DfE to let councils invest absence fines in attendance support

The DfE has also published more prescriptive guidance for schools, trusts and councils on attendance policies

Tom Belger
Tom Belger
Covid

DfE will no longer publish school Covid absence updates

Leaders warn ‘having no stats doesn’t mean Covid has disappeared’

James Carr
James Carr
Schools

Persistently absent pupils to be mentored under £5m trial

DfE seeks organisation to mentor pupils in disadvantaged areas as persistent absence remains high

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker