All schools in England to get pupil attendance targets, government says
The UK government has announced that all mainstream state schools in England will receive individual pupil attendance targets to combat rising absence rates. This initiative follows data showing that persistent absence has doubled since the pandemic, with nearly one in five pupils missing at least 10% of school.
Why it matters
Improving school attendance is a critical policy priority for addressing the long-term educational and social impacts of the post-pandemic learning gap.
Image source, Getty Images By Kate McGough Education reporter Published 34 minutes ago Every mainstream state school in England will be given their own target to improve pupil attendance, the government has confirmed.
Schools will also be encouraged to offer more clubs and activities on Fridays, to improve attendance at the end of the week.
It comes as official attendance data, published on Thursday, suggested school absence rates in England remained above pre-pandemic levels, with nearly one in five pupils missing at least 10% of school in the 2025/26 academic year.
Education minister Paul Waugh said the new attendance targets would take each school's local challenges into account, but that "every school has a role to play to improve attendance".
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