South West pupils consistently missing time in class

New figures show the South West has a particularly bad problem with persistently absent children

Almost a quarter of pupils in the south-west of England are missing school every fortnight, figures show.

Ofsted said the figures showed worrying levels of persistent absence, when a pupil misses at least 10% of schooling.

James McNeillie, regional director for Ofsted in the South West, said this was an issue across the country.

"It's not only about learning but it's about socialising. It's about building friendships and making sure that they're as safe," he said.

"We've got some excellent schools in the region who are doing a fantastic job at getting children back into school.

"They are working really carefully with parents, helping children to understand why they would want to be in school and making sure that there's a safe and welcoming environment there," he added.

James McNeillie from Ofsted said attendance at school was a priority for Ofsted

An Ofsted report covering the 2022/2023 academic year showed 23.9% of pupils nationally were persistently absent. This figure is higher in the south-west (24.9%).

Bristol has the highest level of persistently absent pupils in the region, at 27.4%.

In Swindon, Wiltshire, Ridgeway School has made significant progress with attendance and now helps support other schools across the country.

The new attendance hub at Ridgeway School aims to help other schools, parents and pupils across Swindon

Gina Moody from Ridgeway School said: "We're all about them achieving the best results they can, making the best well-rounded person.

"We also really like to reward students because coming to school some days can be really hard.

"It's really important we recognise those students that are here every day, but also those that are improving their attendance."