Norwich schools send letter to families over attendance

Head teacher Jo Philpott said attendance "isn't an easy fix and it's not a one size fits all"

Eleven academy school head teachers have written to families in a joint letter over concerns about low pupil attendance.

The group, made up of secondary heads in Norwich, said they were united in helping children back into class.

One in five children are failing to attend school in England, compared with one in 10 before the Covid-19 pandemic started.

The government previously said it was "prioritising driving up attendance".

City of Norwich School head teacher Jo Philpott, speaking on behalf of the group, said she hoped the letter was a "positively framed message".

"I think that sense of, 'you go to school every day and that's what you do' - it broke, as part of the Covid closure of schools," she said.

Ms Philpott said schools "could not ignore the mental health agendas" that many children faced and described attendance as "a very complex picture".

"It isn't an easy fix and it's not a one size fits all," she said.

"What's most important is that the dialogue is there."

Pupil attendance has fallen in the UK since the pandemic, figures show

In the letter, the head teachers explained that "maintaining regular attendance might be easier said than done" and that getting children out in the morning was a "test of our own resilience as parents and carers".

"Because we understand this, all Norwich schools have a comprehensive range of strategies to help and support you to ensure your child attends and thrives in school," they added.

Parents and carers were urged to speak to the schools' attendance teams and visit the county council support webpage.

The schools involved were: City Academy Norwich, City of Norwich School, Hellesdon High, Hewett Academy, Jane Austen College, Notre Dame High School, Open Academy, Sewell Park Academy, Sprowston Academy, Thorpe St Andrew School and University Technical College Norfolk.

The Department for Education (DfE) was asked to comment on the letter.

A DfE spokesperson said last year: "We are prioritising driving up attendance rates, including for vulnerable children, building on existing attendance programmes including our attendance hubs and mentors, and updating our guidance to help directly support children, teachers and schools."