Tag: Department for Education

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 18 April 2012.

Hundreds of school support staff are to get degree-level and specialist training in helping children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), under a new £500,000 programme set out today by Children’s Minister Sarah Teather.

The annual SEN support scholarship programme will provide up to £2,000 each to boost the skills of talented teaching assistants and school staff who work with children with SEND. The scholarship cash will fund staff through rigorous, specialist courses and qualifications.

‘Support and aspiration’ the SEN green paper published in March last year, set out major reforms to develop the expertise and expert knowledge of the wider school workforce – so the most vulnerable children have their needs identified early and get the specialist help they need.

The green paper pointed to evidence that in many schools, pupils with SEND were left to be supported ‘almost exclusively’ by teaching assistants – risking children becoming increasingly isolated from the rest of the class and classroom teachers.

It said the best schools proved that highly-skilled support staff could be crucial in raising standards – if they were trained, supported, deployed and managed effectively – and it proposed a national scholarship scheme to send a clear message that high-level professional development should the norm throughout a support staff career.

Children’s Minister Sarah Teather said:

This is about getting the best from all school staff. These scholarships identify and train talented professionals, with the potential to develop their specialist knowledge further and pursue a teaching career in the future if they want.

We know that support staff can make a real difference to the achievement of pupils with SEN and disabilities. They are never a substitute for a qualified teacher – but we know that when used effectively, they are vital to giving the most vulnerable pupils the support they need to get the most out of school.

These pupils need more, not less, time with the schools’ best teachers. Our green paper sets out a clear reform programme to raise the quality of SEN education and support across the board.

The scholarship programme will fund 50% of the total course costs – up to a ceiling of £2,000 each.

There will be a competitive application process, open to support staff who hold A level or equivalent qualifications or hold higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) status. It will fund staff to take a wider range of degree-level equivalent qualifications and specialist diplomas in specific impairments such as in dyslexia or autism.

Applications will open on 30 April and close on 17 May, with the first scholarships awarded later this year.

This new fund for support staff scholarships is in addition to the national scholarship fund for teachers which opens its second round this month.

The minister also today confirmed funding in the academic year 2012 to 2013 to train 1,000 new special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) through the master’s-level National Award for SEN Coordination – on top of almost 9000 training places funded to date since September 2009.

This year the scheme has also been extended to include qualified teachers working in pupil referral units, to support improved SEN provision, following the government’s behaviour expert Charlie Taylor’s recent review into the quality of alternative provision.

SENCOs are teachers with specialist qualifications who play a lead role in a particular school on planning and delivering provision for pupils with additional needs.

SENCOs work with senior leaders and other teachers to:

• identify pupils in need of more help
• advise on the most effective provision
• liaise with outside specialist agencies
• oversee the delivery of targeted help for pupils with SEN

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 16 April 2012.

• Publishing reception absence data to help schools intervene earlier.
• Overhaul of fine system for school absence to make it more effective.
• Strengthening of the rules around term-time holidays
• Extension of Charlie Taylor’s appointment as government adviser. Charlie Taylor, the government’s expert adviser on behaviour, today called for a crackdown on primary school absence to make sure it is not a problem later on in life.

Latest figures show that almost 400,000 pupils miss 15% of schooling a year – the equivalent of having a month off school.

Evidence shows that as children move up through the school system from primary school onwards, the number of children who are persistently absent grows – most significantly in the final years of secondary school.

By the time children have reached their mid-teens it becomes more difficult for parents and schools to get them to attend. Much of the work these children miss when they are off school is never made up, leaving them at a considerable disadvantage for the remainder of their school career. The majority of children whose parents are taken to court for poor attendance are in Years 10 and 11, but by this time it is often too late to solve the attendance problems.

Currently there is no nationally collected data on children’s attendance in nursery and reception, as school is not mandatory at this age. This means schools are not held to account for pupils’ attendance until they reach the age of five. Many schools do not take measures to improve attendance until their pupils reach statutory school age, but for some children this is already too late.

Children with low attendance in the early years are also more likely to come from the poorest backgrounds. These children are likely to start school already behind their peers, particularly in their acquisition of language and their social development.

Charlie Taylor has called for:

• the government to publish data on attendance in reception along with local and national averages and this is considered when Ofsted inspects
• primary schools analyse their data on attendance and quickly pick up on children who are developing a pattern of absence
• primary schools focussing on supporting parents in nursery and reception who are failing to get their children to school.

Having worked in some of London’s toughest schools, Charlie Taylor was commissioned by Education Secretary Michael Gove to look at the issue of school attendance in the wake of the summer riots last year.

Publishing his independent review – ‘Improving attendance at school’ – he said:

School attendance has been steadily improving in the last few years, but there were still 54 million days of school missed last year.

Schools are aware of the consequences of poor attendance on their pupils’ attainment. Some schools go to great lengths to tackle attendance issues, and to see the absence rates decreasing is very promising. But more work needs to be done to reduce the number of pupils who are still persistently absent.

The earlier schools address poor attendance patterns, the less likely it is that they will become a long term issue. The best primary schools realise this and take a rigorous approach to poor attendance from the very start of school life.

There is also clear evidence of a link between poor attendance at school and low levels of achievement. Of pupils who miss between 10% and 20% of school, only 35% achieve 5 or more GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and maths. But 73% of pupils who attend 95% of school achieve this.

The government has already taken action to improve school attendance. Last year, the government lowered the threshold at which children are defined as persistently absent to 15% or more of school time, so that schools could step in to tackle absence sooner – before the problem really takes hold. Previously, children who missed 20% of school were considered persistent absentees.

The main recommendations from the independent review, which the government has accepted, include:

• Making data on attendance in reception classes available along with local and national averages – this fits with the government’s policy of giving as much information as possible about school performance.
• Publishing national statistics on attendance for the whole year not just up until half term in the summer, as is currently the case. The exception to this would be for Year 11.
• Asking Ofsted to set specific, timed targets for improving attendance in schools where it is low.
• Encouraging all primary schools to analyse their data on attendance so that they can quickly pick up on children who are developing a pattern of absence including in nursery and reception.
• Whilst there should be no outright ban on term-time holidays and with headteachers having the discretion, the government should toughen up the rules. If children are taken away for a two week holiday every year and have an average number of days off for sickness and appointments, then by the time they leave at 16 they will have missed an entire year of their schooling.

The government will in due course amend the Pupil Registration Regulations to make clear that schools should only give permission where there are exceptional circumstances. The latest figures show that term-time holidays remain a major reason for absence.

Parental sanctions for school absence

One of the last resorts for schools to deal with absence problems is to issue fines to parents. Currently if a headteacher decides to impose a fine, the parent has 28 days to pay a fine of £50; if they fail then it is doubled. After 42 days if the parent has not paid then the local authority has to withdraw the penalty notice, with the only further option being for local authorities to prosecute parents for the offence.

More than 32,600 penalty notices for school absence were issued to parents last year, and more than 127,000 have been issued since introduction in 2004. However, around half went unpaid or were withdrawn.

Whilst independent research shows that over three-quarters (79%) of local authorities said that penalty notices were ‘very successful’ or ‘fairly successful’ in improving school attendance, local authorities feel court action is often a long-winded process that achieves very little.

In 2010, out of 9,147 parents found guilty by the courts, only 6,591 received a fine or a more serious sanction. The average fine imposed by the court was £165. Education Welfare Officers report that, within certain groups of parents, the word has spread that prosecution for poor attendance is a muddled process in which there is a good chance of getting off without sanction.

Fines for school absence were introduced by the previous government in 2004 and the levels of the fines have not been revised since then. In comparison to other offences, the fines for school absence are relatively low:

• Parking fines range from £80 to £130 and if paid within 14 days it is reduced by 50%.
• Speeding fines are £60 if paid within 28 days plus three points added to your driving licence, after which it doubles to £120 and registered in court as a fine.
• Littering, graffiti and flyposting offences attract fines up to £80, reduced if paid within a certain timeframe.

Charlie Taylor has recommended a toughening up of the system by increasing the fines. The government has accepted this recommendation and from September 2012, headteachers will be able to impose a fine of £60 (a £10 increase) on parents whom they consider are allowing their child to miss too much school without a valid reason. If they fail to pay within 28 days it will double to £120 (a £20 increase), to be paid within 42 days.

Charlie Taylor has also recommended that once the fine has doubled, the money should be recovered automatically from child benefit. Parents who do not receive child benefit and fail to pay fines would have the money recovered through county courts.

Charlie Taylor said:

We know that some parents simply allow their children to miss lessons and then refuse to pay the fine. It means the penalty has no effect, and children continue to lose vital days of education they can never recover.

Recouping the fines through child benefit, along with other changes to the overall system, will strengthen and simplify the system. It would give head teachers the backing they need in getting parents to play their part.

The government will consider this recommendation further and work with other government departments to explore ways to make the payment of penalty notices swift and certain.

Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove, responding to the report, said:

We must do everything to improve school attendance so that all children benefit from good teaching. Successive governments have focussed overwhelmingly on tackling truancy amongst older children. We now need a fundamental change in approach.

Improving the attendance of younger children at primary school will reduce the number who develop truancy problems when they are older.

We must also equip schools to tackle the minority of parents who do not heed that message. Sanctions are most likely to work if their effect is immediate and if they are simple to administer. I agree that the current penalty notice scheme should be simplified. I will work with my colleagues in the Government to explore ways to make the payment of penalty notices swift and certain.

Extension of Charlie Taylor’s appointment

The Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, has also today extended the appointment of Charlie Taylor as the Government expert adviser on behaviour for a further year.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 13 April 2012.

Headteachers today welcomed a government consultation on how school funding can be made fairer.

It seeks the views of parents, teachers, schools, unions and local authorities about the current system, and asks whether a new system would result in a fairer outcome for schools.

The consultation launched today is the first part of a two-stage process. Taking into account these views, further proposals will be published for consultation later this year.

As it stands, the school funding system creates large variations in how much money similar schools in different parts of the country receive. Funding is based on historic calculations – some dating back to at least 2005 – that bear little resemblance to the needs of schools and their pupils today.

For example:

• Similar primary schools’ funding can vary by as much as £1,300 per pupil. Similar secondary schools’ funding can vary by as much as £1,800 per pupil. In a secondary school of 1,000 pupils, that is a difference of around £1.8 million. This could pay for around 40 extra teachers.
• In one local authority, a school with 43% of its pupils eligible for free school meals received £3,367 per pupil. In another local authority, a school with only 10% of its pupils eligible for free school meals received £4,032 per pupil. This is a difference of £655 per pupil.
• The system cannot respond to changes in the types of children living in certain areas. In Peterborough, for example, the number of children who speak English as an additional language has risen by 60% since 2005. This significant change will not have been reflected properly in the funding system.

Ministers believe this is unfair, which is why the government is consulting on whether we should try to make school funding fairer.

Ideally a new funding system for all schools would:

• distribute money in a fair and logical way, with schools in similar circumstances and with similar intakes of pupils receiving similar levels of funding
• provide transparent, additional funding to support deprived pupils, with the pupil premium being the first step to creating a fairer funding system
• be clear and easy for parents, schools and the public to understand
• support a diverse range of school provision, including academies and free schools.

More than £35 billion of revenue is spent on schools each year. It is crucial that the funding system provides good value for money and that resources are distributed fairly.

The consultation asks questions including:

• Do you agree with the case for reforming the system?
• Do you agree with the aim of ensuring that all deprived pupils get the same level of funding no matter where they live?
• What is the right balance between simplicity and complexity?

Schools Minister Lord Hill said:

Headteachers tell us that the current funding system is unfair and illogical. In some cases it means a child living in one part of the country can be funded up to £1,800 more than a child with similar needs living elsewhere. Having a fairer system is not just right in principle. It would enable parents to see more clearly how schools are doing with the funding they receive.

Addressing the disparities and inequalities within our school system is a top priority for the coalition government. For standards to improve, all pupils must get the support they are entitled to. This consultation is the first step to ensuring fairer funding for all.

Brian Lightman, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said:

ASCL has long argued for a reform of the funding system and the development of a new funding system. We are therefore very pleased to see that the government is launching this consultation.

What we have known for some time, and was obvious following the department’s release of financial data on schools in January, is that the current funding method is inequitable and indefensible. Funding between similar secondary schools can vary by up to £1,000 per pupil; this situation surely cannot be allowed to continue. A continuation of the current ‘spend plus’ methodology would actually increase the level of unfairness in school funding, making this review absolutely essential.

Implementation of a change of this magnitude will need to be very carefully planned and we welcome the opportunity to contribute to this consultation.

Russell Hobby, General Secretary of the NAHT, said:

The time is right for a debate on a new funding system. The significant differences in funding between schools of the same size and intake cannot be justified and the current system is far too complicated. Funding must be consistent across schools if accountability is to be fair. We are under no illusions about the challenge and risk, especially in times of financial constraint, but it is a conversation worth having.

The early framework for consultation asks many of the right questions and suggests some workable principles. As an association, we endorse the need to recognise the differing characteristics of pupils and for simplicity and transparency. School leaders must be able to plan over the long term.

We need to think carefully about how we protect small schools that are so clearly valued by their communities, how we avoid turbulence and how we manage any transition.

These are the early days of a very long run process and we welcome the commitment to a genuine dialogue from first principles.

The government is also consulting on potential options for funding academies next year, as an immediate step towards making the funding system simpler. This consultation will run for 6 weeks.

At present, academy funding replicates the funding that other schools in the local authority receive. But this system was designed for a much smaller number of academies. As more schools choose to convert, the current system is becoming increasingly clumsy and needs to change. 629 academies are now open, compared to 203 in May 2010.

The current academy funding system has a number of flaws:

• Like maintained schools, academies receive opaque funding allocations
• The system is complex and lacks transparency
• Replication of funding is labour-intensive and bureaucratic. The Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA), the body that administers academy funding, estimates that an average replication model takes 3 to 5 days to build but may take up to 3 weeks to verify
• The system for calculating the Local Authority Central Services Equivalent Grant is extremely complicated and does not deliver funding that is transparent

The Government is consulting on three different options for funding Academies in the school year 2012 to 2013.

David Wootton, Chair of the Independent Academies Association, said:

We in the academy movement are committed to a funding formula that is fair for all schools and all children. The present system is innately unfair and has for a long time disadvantaged many youngsters. The funding system has not kept up with the pace of change or indeed changes in localities.

A new funding system has the potential to create a fairer and simpler way of funding schools. This consultation offers everyone the chance to explore and consider in some detail the opportunities and challenges in moving from the current highly complex arrangements to a simpler, transparent system.

The intention to consult on the benefits of a new funding system was set out in the Schools white paper.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 13 April 2012.

New rules published today will put an end to excluded pupils winning the right to come back to school against the headteacher’s wishes.

Coming into force from this September, the new regulations will apply to maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units. The changes were legislated through the 2011 Education Act.

Currently when a headteacher excludes a child from school, the school can be forced by an appeals panel to re-admit that child. This can lead to a disruptive child continuing to damage their own education as well as that of others – as well as undermining the headteacher’s authority.

Under the new system, headteachers will have the power to exclude a child as long as the decision is legal, reasonable and fair. If the new review panels believe this has not been the case, they will be able to require schools to revisit their decision. They will not be able to force the school to take back the child.

Supporting schools to promote good behaviour is vital to enabling all pupils to achieve their full potential, regardless of their circumstances.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

Raising standards of behaviour in schools is a key priority of the government. It is a vital building block in the government’s objective of raising academic achievement and closing the attainment gap between those from poorer and wealthier backgrounds.

Restoring the authority of teachers and headteachers is an important part of the objective of raising standards of behaviour in schools. When head teachers decide that they have no choice but to expel a persistently disruptive or uncooperative pupil that decision must not be undermined by an appeal process which can result in the pupil returning to the school against the wishes of the school and its leadership.

These new rules preserve the right to have a decision to expel a child reviewed by an independent panel but take away the power to force the return of the pupil to the school.

The new independent review panels will provide a fair and accessible process for considering exclusion decisions in a way that takes account of the impact that poor behaviour can have on the education and welfare of other pupils.

The new exclusions system will also provide additional safeguards for pupils with special educational needs (SEN), in particular through the introduction of the role of SEN experts to advise independent review panels.

In addition, in all cases where schools stand by the decision to exclude following a direction by the review panel to reconsider its decision, schools would have to provide a payment of £4,000 towards the cost of alternative provision for the excluded child.

Ultimately, the government’s intention is to reduce the need for exclusion by supporting schools to manage behaviour and intervene earlier to address any underlying causes. The government is currently trialling a new approach in a number of local authorities with around 300 secondary schools, where schools retain responsibility for permanently excluded pupils and work in partnership to secure better outcomes for pupils at risk of exclusion.

In the academic year 2009 to 2010 there were 5,740 permanent exclusions and 331,380 fixed period exclusions in England. In the same period, 510 appeals against permanent exclusions were heard in the academic year 2009 to 2010. Of these, 110 appeals were determined in favour of the parent, and reinstatement of the pupil was directed in 30 cases.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 11 April 2012.

A best practice report on apprenticeships for young people launched by Ofsted today has found that those who had completed work experience, course tasters or vocational study were more likely to make good progress in their apprenticeship than those starting straight from school without it.

The best practice report also found that good relationships between employers and trainers were crucially important in capturing evidence of apprentices’ skills.

The National Director for Learning and Skills Matthew Coffey said:

“There has been much concern lately about the quality of apprenticeships. When looking at the national picture we can see that around 70% of apprenticeships are good or outstanding but more needs to be done to improve provision further. The Apprenticeships for young people best practice report will provide a vast pool of knowledge and examples on how to deliver apprenticeships successfully and will act as a useful guide for trainers, assessors and educational leaders wishing to improve.

“When preparing post-16s for apprenticeships schools need to provide meaningful work experience. While the majority of learners are completing their apprenticeships around a quarter are dropping out. It is clear that more work experience, vocational study and course tasters are needed to ensure learners are on the right apprenticeship for them and that they understand the demands of work.”

Apprenticeships have a key role in the government’s strategy to develop the skills of the workforce and to promote the growth and rebalancing of the nation’s economy. The government’s ambition that all young people will participate in learning up to the age of 18 will rely critically on the sector’s expertise in designing and delivering high quality programmes, including pre-apprenticeships and intermediate and advanced apprenticeships.

As seen in this best practice report it is important for employers and teachers to work together and understand how the apprenticeship is delivered so learners can show evidence and be readily assessed on both their practical and theoretical skills.

Work experience in the area that interested the young person was seen as a positive force in equipping young people with an appropriate work ethic and basic employment skills. Despite the benefits of work experience, the employers in the survey said that the number of students they could accommodate on placements was restricted. This was because too many local schools tended to ask for placements during the same short period at the end of the academic year.

Providers and employers felt that the most important attributes of a potential apprentice were the right attitude and commitment to employment.

Employers and trainers who worked together and had a good understanding of how the apprenticeship was delivered were better placed to help learners capture evidence of the skills they learnt during their apprenticeship. This way they had a wide base of evidence to link their workplace training with the training they had done with their provider, marrying both their practical and theoretical skills.

The most effective teaching was well planned, engaged learners and enabled them to put quickly into practice what they learnt in theory lessons. The strong vocational backgrounds of the staff together with small group sizes ensured good and sometimes outstanding skills development.

Providers surveyed in this best practice report said that good training in key and functional skills such as English and maths was seen as more relevant by young people when it was put into context and used in relation to the skills associated with the young person’s apprenticeship. Linking key or functional skills training to the area of learning being studied meant that young apprentices did not view it as more of the same ‘English and maths’ they studied at school and could see the real benefits of improving these skills. Those who had not done well at school said that they could see the point of mathematics in particular when they would be using it as part of their jobs.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 5 April 2012.

National Careers Service

Combining face to face to face local advice with a new interactive website, the new National Careers Service will:

• Provide information and advice for approximately 370,000 young people through the use of the helpline and website.
• Offer face to face advice to 700,000 adults each year in a range of locations in local communities.
• Provide detailed sector by sector labour market information so people can discover which industries are growing in their area.
• Provide tools such as a CV builder and a Skills Health Check on the website to help people identify their skills strengths and gaps.
• Allow people to open a Lifelong Learning Account, which gives them clear information and advice on skills, careers and financial support in a single, personalised online space.

John Hayes said:

“The National Careers Service, universally available to people at all stages of their careers, has the very best interactive tools on its website and the highest-quality advisers, committed to the noble cause of helping others fulfil their aspirations.

“Making available the right advice at the right time and in the right places is to strike a blow for social mobility, social cohesion and social justice – a society that encourages people from wherever they start to journey to the destination of their dreams.”

Model turned Chef, Lorraine Pascale is an Ambassador for the service. Speaking from the launch she said:

“After modelling, choosing my next career move was a big decision. I knew I wanted to find something that I was really passionate about, but I tried courses in hypnotherapy, auto repair and interior design before I found the thing that really makes me tick: cooking.

“Having independent careers advice can really help you find the thing you want to do. I’d encourage everyone to make the most of the National Careers Service to find out how to take their career forward, and realise their ambitions.”

Her view was echoed by Record Producer Pete Waterman. He said:

“I know from my own experience that it’s never too late to learn a new skill.

“I learnt to read and write much later in life than many people, but this opened up a whole new world for me.

“It’s one of the reasons why I’m so passionate about helping people to get the skills they need to fulfil their ambitions.”

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 30 March 2012.

An Ofsted report launched today looking at art, craft and design education in schools and colleges has found that after getting off to a confident early start, pupils’ progress slowed during primary school and was no better than satisfactory at the start of secondary school.

The report, ‘Making a mark: art, craft and design 2008-2011’, shows that weaknesses in the teaching of drawing have not been addressed since Ofsted’s last report. Too few pupils developed creativity through confident drawing. Limited provision for teachers’ professional development meant that less than a quarter of teachers surveyed participated in subject-specific training in the year before their inspection.

Only 2 out of 5 primary schools and 3 out of 5 secondary schools provided good or better education in art, craft and design, the main short coming with the remainder being inconsistency in provision. The report says that opportunities available out of school, such as visits to art galleries, are not made clear enough to pupils, parents and carers. It recommends that these opportunities and other good practice should be accessible to all.

Ofsted Director of Education, Jean Humphrys, said:

Children’s ability to appreciate and interpret what they observe, communicate what they think and feel, or make what they imagine and invent, is influenced by the quality of their art, craft and design education.

We found that children often began well, drawing adventurously and imaginatively at the very start of their education, but too few made consistently good enough progress to flourish creatively, especially boys. This was masked by their enjoyment of the subject even when teaching was barely satisfactory.

I would like to see teachers getting better access to professional development. I want schools to build on pupils’ experiences and creative development in their early years more effectively in primary and secondary school.

The quality of the curriculum had improved since Ofsted’s previous survey. The schools inspected for the report typically had broadened curriculum provision to promote greater inclusion.

The best work inspectors saw in schools and colleges was characterised by a breadth of drawing media used for a range of purposes such as recording, experimenting, analysing, and developing ideas. They found that good skills in drawing, a fundamental subject skill, underpinned good achievement in later secondary school and post-16 education.

An increase in photography courses and crafts-based approaches had improved boys’ participation and achievement. For example, in 11 of the 86 secondary schools visited, photography courses had improved boys’ participation and performance. But there is still more to do to close the gap with girls’ high attainment in the subject.

In the 14 schools and nine colleges visited where provision was outstanding, best practice was promoted by energetic subject leaders who ensured that the exciting world of art, craft and design was reflected in and beyond the classroom. Their impact was reflected in work in art galleries; self-motivated pupils, outside lessons, strong teamwork, vibrant displays and challenging exhibitions of work.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 28 March 2012.

Almost 400,000 persistently absent children missed at least a month of school, figures reveal today.

The statistics for the 2010/11 school year also show that children on free school meals, or those with special educational needs, were around three times more likely to be persistently absent.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said persistent absence was a serious problem. Much of the work children miss when they are off school is never made up, leaving them at a considerable disadvantage to their peers.

There is clear evidence of a link between poor attendance at school and low levels of achievement. Figures from 2009/10 show that:

• Of pupils who miss more than 50 per cent of school, only three per cent manage to achieve five A* to Cs, including English and maths.
• Of pupils who miss between 10 per cent and 20 per cent of school, only 35 per cent manage to achieve five A* to C GCSEs, including English and maths.
• Of pupils who miss less than five per cent of school, 73 per cent achieve five A* to Cs, including English and maths.

A child is defined as persistently absent if they miss 15 per cent or more of school time. Previously, children who missed 20 per cent of school were considered persistent absentees. The Government lowered the threshold so schools could step in to tackle absence sooner – before the problem really takes hold.

Schools and local authorities have a range of strategies and sanctions open to them to tackle the problem. Penalty notices can be issued to parents for unauthorised absences. Department for Education figures, also published today, show that 32,641 notices were issued last year but that 13,629 of those went unpaid or were withdrawn.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb welcomed the downward trend in absence but said he remained concerned about the impact of persistent absence on children’s attainment.

He said:

A hard core of almost 400,000 pupils still missed at least a month of school. We should not underestimate the impact of this on their future prospects.

The effect that poor attendance at school can have on a child’s education can be permanent and damaging. Children who attend school regularly are four times more likely to achieve five or more good GCSEs, including English and Maths, than those who are persistently absent.

We have asked Charlie Taylor to carry out a review on attendance and have lowered the persistent absence threshold, so schools tackle the problem earlier. We are determined to tackle absence before it causes long-term disadvantage.

Overall pupil absence in schools in England continued to fall. The overall absence rate decreased from six per cent in 2009/10 to 5.8 per cent in 2010/11.

More than a million pupils (15.8 per cent) missed half a day or more of school per week, equating to 10 per cent of school time missed.

Authorised absence has fallen to 4.7 per cent in 2010/11 from five per cent in 2009/10.

Unauthorised absence has increased to 1.1 per cent – a rise of 0.1 of a percentage point on 2009/10. The rate of unauthorised absence has changed very little over the last five years.

Term-time holidays remain a major reason for absence and in 2010/11 increased to 9.5 per cent of overall absence, from 9.3 per cent the previous year. Illness continues to be the most common reason for absence in schools, accounting for 59 per cent.

The Government’s Expert Adviser on behaviour, Charlie Taylor, who is carrying out an independent review of attendance in schools, said:

Schools are aware of the consequences of poor attendance on their pupils’ attainment. Some schools go to great lengths to tackle attendance issues and to see the absence rates decreasing is very promising. But as these figures show there is yet more work to be done to reduce the number of pupils who are still persistently absent.

The earlier schools address poor attendance patterns, the less likely it is that they will become a long term issue. The best primary schools realise this and take a rigorous approach to poor attendance from the very start of school life.

He added:

Schools can issue penalty notices to parents whose children persistently miss lessons. But when about 40 per cent of fines are unpaid or withdrawn, it shows the current system is not working.

Ofsted allows for flexibility around the inspection of attendance. The individual circumstances of pupils with good reason to be off school will not affect the final judgment i.e. long term absence on medical grounds. Schools should also not be penalised for the absence of genuinely sick children.

Ofsted will continue to take into account the number of pupils over the ‘persistently absent’ threshold when looking at a school’s performance on attendance.

Local authority breakdown

Local authorities with the most persistent absence

Local Authority	Percentage of children who are persistently absent
Nottingham	9.7
Liverpool	9.6
Kingston upon Hull	9.1
Knowsley	9.1
Newcastle upon Tyne	8.8
Middlesborough	8.8
Blackpool	8.7
Bristol	8.4
Sandwell	8.4
Wolverhampton	8.0

Local authorities with the least persistent absence

Local Authority	Percentage of children who are persistently absent
City of London	2.2
Rutland	3.8
Isles of Scilly	3.8
Westminster	4.2
Kingston upon Thames	4.3
Wokingham	4.4
Bracknell Forest	4.5
Bexley	4.6
Windsor and Maidenhead	4.6
North Lincolnshire	4.7

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 27 March 2012.

A slimmed down and more focused Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) for children aged from birth to 5-year-olds was today published by Children’s Minister Sarah Teather.

The new EYFS, which will take effect from 1 September 2012, focuses on getting children ready for education and increasing the attainment of all children, particularly those from deprived backgrounds.

The government also today pledges to go further. Where there are examples of regulation and paperwork that are not necessary to safeguard children, drive up quality or promote child development, they will be removed.

The revised curriculum reduces the number of early learning goals from 69 to 17, gives more focus to the main areas of learning that are most essential for children’s healthy development and simplifies assessment at age 5. It also provides earlier intervention for children who need extra help with a progress check at age 2.

The government has reduced paperwork for professionals to allow them to exercise their judgement, for example by removing the requirement for written risk assessments for all activities.

Children’s Minister Sarah Teather said:

What really matters is making sure a child is able to start school ready to learn, able to make friends and play, ready to ask for what they need and say what they think. These are critical foundations for really getting the best out of school.

It’s vital we have the right framework to support high quality early years education. Our changes, including the progress check at age 2, will support early years professionals and families to give children the best possible start in life.

People working in the early years, teachers, parents, and other professionals support our proposals, which keep the best of the existing framework but slim it down.

This is the first part of our reforms to the early years. Where we find examples of regulation and paperwork that are not necessary to safeguard children, drive up quality or promote child development, we will remove them. We will continue to help practitioners to focus on children’s healthy development.

The reformed EYFS builds on the independent advice of Dame Clare Tickell. Dame Clare Tickell said:

I am very happy to endorse the new EYFS. It closely follows my recommendations, building on the strengths of the current framework and making key improvements in response to the concerns of many people working in the sector.

There is a compelling reason for reforming the EYFS while retaining its overall shape and scope: the evidence is clear that there is a strong positive link between high quality early education and children’s healthy progress through school and into adulthood. To secure that link, and to ensure that all children grow-up healthy, safe, and resilient, and develop the ability and curiosity to learn, we need the EYFS.

Together with a more flexible free early education entitlement and new streamlined inspection arrangements, the new framework is an integral part of the government’s wider vision to free professionals to focus on their interaction with children.

Last summer, the government asked Professor Cathy Nutbrown to consider how we might strengthen the early years workforce. Her report is due in June, and the government will carefully consider her recommendations – along with international evidence on staffing levels and qualifications – as we continue to promote early years provision that is high quality and cost effective to parents.

People working in the early years will get additional guidance and information so they feel confident to deliver the new EYFS. And a summary of the EYFS will be available for parents so they know what their child will be learning and what they should expect from their child’s early years setting.

The coalition government is committed to investing in the early years and is expanding free childcare to many 2-year-olds as well as all 3- and 4-year-olds. The new EYFS will ensure that good quality early learning benefits all children, as the government believes this can make a real difference to success in later life.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 22 March 2012.

Around 74,000 children have missed out on a place at their first-choice secondary school, official figures reveal today.

That is around 5,000 fewer than last year. Schools Minister Nick Gibb welcomed the improvement but said that too many – around one in seven – would still have to attend a secondary school this September that was not top of their list.

The statistics show the secondary school offers made to more than 503,000 children by 151 local authorities in England on National Offer Day, March 1.

They show that nationally:

• 85.3 per cent of pupils were offered a place at their first-choice school.
• 95.9 per cent of pupils were offered a place at one of their top three preferred schools.
• The North East continues to have the highest percentage of first preference offers at 95.1 per cent.
• London continues to have the lowest percentage of first preferences at 67.2 per cent, though this is up 1.3 percentage points on 2011.

This year there were around 8,500 fewer children applying for a place at secondary school compared to 2011. The total number of places available remained broadly the same.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

I am pleased that year-on-year more pupils are being offered a place at their preferred school. Unfortunately, whilst progress is being made, we are still some way short of making this a reality for all pupils. Around 74,000 children are still unable to attend the secondary school they want.

Parents are faced with an extremely competitive and stressful process for securing a place for their children. We want to ease this pressure by creating more good school places, which is the driver behind all our reforms to the education system.

The new admissions code will make it easier for the best schools to create more places. We have given teachers the power to curb bad behaviour, enabling them to concentrate on teaching. Academies and Free Schools have given parents more choice of good school places and their innovative approach to education encourages other schools to raise academic standards.

We are focusing on tackling underperformance in those schools that parents seek to avoid in their list of preferences.

New admissions and appeals code

The new admissions and appeals codes came into force in February this year following overwhelming support from parents. The new codes are simpler, fairer and less bureaucratic and the changes will go a long way in giving parents more choice.

Under the new admissions code, good schools will be allowed to increase the number of places they can offer. Free Schools and Academies will be able to prioritise pupils from the poorest backgrounds, ensuring they have more opportunities to benefit from innovative approaches to teaching.

The new appeals code has made it easier for parents to contest admissions decisions. They now have 20 school days in which to appeal, compared with 10 under the previous codes.

Notes to editors:

1. The statistics can be found on the Department for Education’s website.
2. The admissions code came into force on 1 February 2012. Admissions for the September 2013 intake will be the first to be operated under the new codes.
3. A new “national offer day” for primary school will be introduced on 16 April 2014, ending the complexity and lack of clarity of the current system. Currently different admissions authorities release offers on different days. This can confuse and frustrate parents, especially those making applications for places in different local authorities.