Absence: New council seeks solutions to 'lost learning'

New council seeks solutions to ‘lost learning’ from absence and exclusions

Research finds 32 million days were lost to unauthorised absence and exclusions in 2022-23

Samantha Booth

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| 5 September 2024, 5:00 am

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A new expert group has been formed to find solutions to help prevent children from 鈥渓osing learning鈥�, after research found 32 million days were lost to unauthorised absence and exclusions last year.

Chaired by ASCL general secretary Pepe Di鈥橧asio, the council will bring together experts and leaders including Sir Dan Moynihan, chief executive of Harris Federation and Liz Robinson, chief executive of the Big Education academy trust (see full list below).

Over the next six months, the 鈥榃ho鈥檚 Losing Learning Solutions Council鈥� will hear evidence from school leaders, parents and organisations to find 鈥減romising work鈥� with potential to become national policy solutions for mainstream schools across the next two parliaments.

Kiran Gill, chief executive of , a school leadership charity supporting leaders to reduce absence and exclusion, said the panel would be “hearing evidence on how mainstream schools can evolve to better serve the needs of all children 鈥� especially those struggling with their mental health.

鈥淢any teachers and school leaders are stepping towards this challenge, and innovating in their classrooms and communities.

“But too often they are doing this against the tide of the incentives around them, without the professional development and practice sharing they most need or at a remove from the services they need most to collaborate with.鈥�

32 million days of learning lost

A new report by IPPR and The Difference found 30.5 million days were lost to unauthorised absence in 2022-23 while 1.5 million days were lost to suspensions.

The total, 32 million, was up 72 per cent from 19 million in pre-pandemic 2018-19.

Gill

Researchers for the first time defined 鈥渓ost learning鈥� as 鈥渁cademic and social education missed by children when they are out of class, out of school or moved out of their local community setting鈥�.

The report refers to an 鈥渆xclusions continuum鈥� covering 14 types of 鈥渓ost learning鈥�, including exclusions, suspensions and unauthorised absences. But it also included elective home education, toilet trips and lateness to lessons.

Researchers found poorer children, those known to social services, children with SEND or mental ill health and those from some ethnic minority backgrounds 鈥渄isproportionately experience鈥� missed learning.

For instance the poorest students, who get free school meals, were nearly five times more likely to be permanently excluded and four times more likely to be suspended than their peers.

Schools grapple with ‘internal truancy’

Government data published in July found suspensions had risen sharply again, with exclusions now also above their pre-pandemic rate.

New Teacher Tapp data commissioned for today’s report found 95 per cent of secondary schools reported grappling with internal truancy – attending school but not lessons.

In addition, nearly one in five schools were using part-time timetables to help children struggling in school.

Researchers pointed to councils spending 鈥渋ncreasing amounts鈥� on educating children outside of mainstream schools.

For instance, there has been a sharp rise in spending on independent special schools and rising numbers of children in unregistered alternative provision.

New analysis by Pro Bono Economics estimated the lifetime cost to the economy per child associated with permanent exclusion, “made up of extra education and youth justice costs, alongside reduced earnings and raised unemployment鈥� was 拢170,000.

Central government “must now go further to tackle the injustices across the exclusions continuum. To reduce lost learning and pressure on council spend, mainstream schools must be better equipped to support children with a wider range of needs.鈥�

Gill said: 鈥淲e should all be worried about the social injustice that the most marginalised children – who already have the biggest barriers to opportunity outside of school – are those most likely to be not in classrooms through absence, suspension and exclusion.”