LABOUR'S shadow education secretary has promised to tackle an absence “crisis” in schools, amid claims that more than 10,000 pupils across the North East could be missing half of their lesson time by 2026.

Bridget Phillipson, the MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, set out her party’s plans to reduce growing persistent non-attendance rates that have spiralled since the pandemic.

Ms Phillipson, who attended St Robert of Newminster Catholic School in Washington, said in speech in London on Tuesday (January 9) that a Labour government would introduce a national register of children who are not in school, use artificial intelligence to spot absence trends, put dedicated mental health counsellors into every secondary school, and provide free breakfast clubs for every primary school pupil in England.

Figures from the Department for Education (DfE) show that 7,197 pupils across North East England were classed as severely absent in 2022/23, meaning they missed 50 per cent or more of their lessons – equivalent to missing four months of school a year.

That is more than double the 3,245 recorded in 2018/19, while Labour has warned that the number could jump to 10,691 by 2026/27 if it continued to increase at the current rate.

Ms Phillipson, who spoke at the Centre for Social Justice on Tuesday, said:  “Every day of education matters for our children’s life chances: that’s why tackling severe absence would be mission critical for Labour in government.  

“The Conservatives have allowed the persistent absence crisis in school attendance to spiral out of control and have no plan to get children back to school.

“Labour’s long-term plan will tackle the reasons children are out of class, with mental health counselling, breakfast clubs and a register of home-schooled children, funded by ending tax breaks for private schools.

“After a decade of Conservative-driven decline, Labour will put education at the heart of national life to give our children a bright future once again.”

County Durham and Newcastle have the highest numbers of severe absentees across the 12 local authorities in the North East and the Tees Valley, each with more than 1,000 children missing more than half of lessons in 2022/23.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the association of school and college leaders, said that current absence rates are “alarming” and warned that schools “cannot fight this battle on their own”.

Labour’s announcement came the day after the Government announced the creation of 18 new “attendance hubs” to help tackle the problem of persistent absentees, including one at Ashington Academy in Northumberland.

The DfE said that the hubs, of which there are now 32 nationally, are run by schools with excellent attendance rates and share practical ideas with other primary, secondary, alternative provision and special schools that need help.

The Government also pledged to invest £15m over three years to expand an attendance mentor pilot programme to give “intensive support” to more than 10,000 persistent and severely absent pupils and their families.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “The benefits of our success in raising education standards can only be when all children are in school. Tackling attendance is my number one priority. We want all our children to have the best start in life because we know that attending school is vital to a child’s wellbeing, development, and attainment as well as impact future career success.

“I am hugely grateful to all our brilliant teachers, heads, and everyone who’s worked with us to make the progress we’ve already made with 380,000 fewer children persistently absent.”
 
Labour Party projection of how many children could miss 50 per cent or more school sessions in 2026/27 for each North East council area (actual numbers for 2022/23)

  • County Durham – 1,852 (1,178)
  • Newcastle – 1,693 (1,116)
  • Sunderland – 1,173 (759)
  • Northumberland – 911 (600)
  • Gateshead – 871 (537)
  • North Tyneside – 518 (376) 
  • South Tyneside – 462 (344)
  • Darlington – 299 (238)
  • Hartlepool – 422 (317)
  • Middlesbrough – 1,020 (691)
  • Redcar and Cleveland – 601 (413)
  • Stockton-on-Tees – 870 (628)