Minister announces new pilot scheme to boost school attendance

Nation.Cymru staff

A £200,000 programme aimed at tackling behavioural problems and improving school attendance is being launched as attendance in Wales remains below pre-pandemic levels.

Average attendance at maintained schools is around 91%, compared with 94.3% in 2018/19, with particularly low rates among pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Welsh Government funding will be used for a series of Community Focused Schools Plus pilots exploring how schools and specialist services can work together to provide earlier support for children, young people and their families.

Pupils eligible for free school meals have an average attendance rate of around 85%, compared with more than 92% among those who are not eligible.

The initiative forms part of the Welsh Government’s First 100 Days Plan and will focus on issues including mental health and wellbeing, behaviour and engagement with education.

Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language Anna Brychan said: “We know that factors outside the classroom can have a significant impact on a learner’s ability to attend, engage and achieve.

“Cost of living, concerns around mental health and wellbeing, family pressures and increasingly complex support needs mean that schools are often responding to challenges that affect every aspect of a child’s experience and development.”

The pilots will examine ways of bringing specialist expertise closer to schools and improving cooperation between different services.

Community Focused Schools are intended to strengthen links between schools, families, communities and public services, with schools acting as hubs through which support can be provided.

The programme will also look at how teachers and other school staff can gain better access to specialist expertise when dealing with pupils with complex needs.

Ms Brychan said: “By bringing specialist expertise closer to schools, we can provide earlier support and prevent challenges from becoming barriers to learning, wellbeing and achievement.

“A key objective is to ensure that the education workforce has access to the expertise and practical support needed to respond confidently to increasingly complex learner needs.”

Framework

The pilots will run alongside work on a new integrated framework covering attendance, behaviour, mental health and wellbeing.

The framework, another commitment in the government’s First 100 Days Plan, is being developed with partner organisations and will focus on early intervention and improving support for children and their families.

Ms Brychan said: “At the heart of this work is a simple ambition: every child and young person should have the opportunity to participate fully in school life, feel a sense of belonging, and achieve their potential.

“By taking a more preventative approach, it will help ensure learners receive the right support at the right time.”

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