Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of schools that have applied full-time attendance targets for (a) autistic and (b) neurodivergent children without reasonable adjustments in place.

The department’s guidance to schools, trusts and local authorities on supporting school attendance sets clear expectations to provide a ‘support-first’ approach to attendance, while maintaining high ambitions for all pupils.

The department knows that some pupils face more complex barriers, including pupils who have long-term physical or mental health conditions, or who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Their right to an education is the same as any other pupil and therefore the attendance ambition for these pupils should be the same as it is for any other pupil. However, additional support may need to be provided to deliver those ambitions.

For pupils with SEND, schools are expected to:

• Work in partnership with parents to develop specific support approaches including, where applicable, ensuring the provision outlined in the pupil’s education, health and care plan is accessed.
• Work in partnership with families to address barriers where school transport is regularly being missed and work with other partners to encourage the scheduling of medical appointments and other interventions outside of the main school day.
• Establish strategies for removing any in-school barriers, including considering reasonable adjustments for uniform, transport, routines, access to support in school and lunchtime arrangements.
• Consider adjustments to practice and policies to help meet the needs of pupils who are struggling to attend school, as well as making formal reasonable adjustments under section 20 of the Equality Act 2010 where a pupil has a disability. Any adjustments should be agreed by and regularly reviewed with the pupil and their parents.
• Ensure joined-up pastoral care is in place where needed and consider whether a time-limited phased return to school would be appropriate.

The department’s ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bf300da44f1c4c23e5bd1b/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance_-_August_2024.pdf, and additional information about SEND support can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/children-with-special-educational-needs/special-educational-needs-support.