Bus fare or food? The support workers trying to fix England’s school absence crisis

There are schools in England where more than half of pupils are persistently absent. Photograph: David Jones/PA

Fleur, 13, and 12-year-old Rowan are two of the tens of thousands of children at the centre of the school attendance crisis in England. Fleur’s mental health was so poor she has missed more than half of her education. Rowan’s attendance was little better at 59%.

Rowan lives with his mother and two younger brothers. Home life is unstable so he does a lot of the housework, cooks dinner for his brothers and makes sure they get to school. There is little time to focus on his own education.