Redundancies. Lack of funding. A pandemic. All have contributed to a huge rise in children missing from class. Now there’s a bold new initiative to solve the problem
Passmores Academy in Harlow was the subject of a riveting 2011 fly-on-the-wall documentary series on Channel 4 called Educating Essex. It followed the lives of teenagers and staff, led by the charismatic, ebullient head teacher Vic Goddard. He has since become hugely influential advocating the importance of education, particularly for the most deprived, and the “pure joy” of teaching. “I have the best job in the world,” he has said frequently in the 13 years since Educating Essex. But not now.
Events last week provide clues as to why. It was revealed that 2 million children require speech and language therapy, many waiting more than a year for care. In 2023, 140,000 children were classed as “severely absent” from school – an increase of 134% since before the pandemic. Last Monday, the government announced 18 more attendance hubs, bringing the total to 32, and £15m for attendance mentor pilots. Then Labour announced measures it would implement, including a register for children in home education. Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, described Labour as “a party that puts children first”
