Some pupils’ struggles with the social side of school may be contributing to an “alarming” drop in attendance in Leeds, it’s been suggested.
A report published last week revealed the average attendance across local primary and secondary schools stands at 92.5 per cent, which is significantly down on the pre-pandemic benchmark of 95.2 per cent. Various factors have been cited as possible causes, including lingering Covid cases, struggles to recruit and retain staff and the cost-of-living crisis affecting children’s mental health.
Leeds City Council, which governs most local schools that are neither academies or free schools, said there was “work to be done” across the education sector to reverse the trend.
