More than 12,000 children missed school in Wales for Covid related reasons last week as cases rise. School leaders warned absence is now at “crisis” levels with so many children and staff off each day - more than one in 10 pupils are now absent on average.
Latest Welsh Government figures shown 12,332 children missed school for a known Covid related reason in the week March 14-18 with 23,500 school sessions missed. That’s up from 7,830 the previous week and 4,290 the week before.
The data, published on March 23 show 3.2% of pupils were off for Covid related reasons in the week to March 18, up from 1.7% the previous week. A further 33,029 school sessions were missed for illness other than Covid. School coronavirus cases have risen slightly as cases in the community also grow. You can see the areas with the highest numbers of schools cases here.
Thousands more pupils were off for other reasons, not all known or authorised. More than one in 10 children are off school on average and far more in some academic years and areas.
Around two in every 10 GCSE exam year 11 pupils are skipping school and another one in four A level year 13s are off. With exams just weeks away the Association of School and College Leaders described the situation as “very worrying”.
This summer will be the first in two years that GCSEs, A and AS levels have been sat and there have been claims they won’t be fair. Students have shared their worries about A level results again.
School attendance is lowest in Pembrokeshire at 84.5% followed by Gwynedd at 85.8%. Highest rates of children going to school are in Torfaen (89.3%) closely followed by Cardiff at 89.1%.
Some children’s education has been more disrupted than others. Some have not returned to classrooms since they shut at the start of the pandemic two years ago.
Efforts to bring them back are flagging. There have been warnings that Fridays have become an “optional” school day for some children and families and pupils have lost the habit of going to lessons. Children eligible for free school meals are more likely to miss school with the attendance gap between this group and their better off peers now at 5.6%.
The Welsh Government has repeatedly said that it won’t bring back penalties for parents who don’t send their children in for now. Many parents are also opposed fines saying children need time out and holidays are cheaper in term time. You can read all the views about fines for non attendance here
Latest school absence data published by the Welsh Government on March 23 shows an average of 87.6% of all pupils went to school in the week of March 14 to 18. That’s down from 89.6% the week before (March 7-11) a figure that was revised down from initial estimates of 90%.
Average school attendance by year group in week to March 18
- Reception 86.5
- Year 1 87.3
- Year 2 88.0
- Year 3 87.7
- Year 4 88.0
- Year 5 87.9
- Year 6 87.6
- Year 7 86.9
- Year 8 85.2
- Year 9 83.4
- Year 10 83.9
- Year 11 83.8
- Year 12 81.7
- Year 13 74.5
ASCL Cymru said schools are struggling with not only absent pupils but also high staff absence, especially in key subjects such as maths and English. Whole year groups have been sent home to learn again in some areas as schools struggle to stay open amid a national shortage of staff supply cover and high absence rates. You can read more about that here.
“These latest statistics back up exactly what we are hearing from schools right across Wales,” said ASCL Director Eithne Hughes.
“Many are struggling to even keep their doors open due to severe disruption caused by Covid, with high levels of both pupil and staff absence.
“We are just a matter of a few weeks away from GCSE and A-level students taking exams that will play a pivotal role in shaping their future lives but the level of absence among these young people and, critically, among the teachers whose role it is to prepare them, continues to be very worrying.
“Every single year group across Wales has at least 10% of learners absent but more than a quarter of Year 13 students who are due to sit their A-level exams this summer are missing from the classroom. The picture among GCSE students is equally concerning. This year group has the lowest attendance of all statutory aged learners.
“What these figures do not record is the significant effect that illness among staff is having in our schools and particularly among specialist teachers in subjects such as maths and English. Schools are under severe pressure and the numbers are so high in some that they are having to resort to sending home entire year groups just to remain open with the staff they have available.
“Many are having to rely heavily on supply staff but they are not immune to illness either, making availability patchy to say the least. The knock-on problem for schools is that these staff come at a high cost.”
With the Welsh government’s hardship fund due to come to an end in just over a week’s time she warned that it was crucial this was extended to give schools the financial support they need “to weather an attendance crisis that shows no sign of relenting”.
School absence in Wales in the week March 14-18
- 87.6% of all pupils went to school on average, down from 89.6% the week before.
- 3.2% of pupils were absent due to a known Covid related reason, up from 1.7% the previous week.
- 3.7% of all primary pupils were absent for a known Covid related reason.
- 2.5% of all secondary pupils were absent for a known Covid related reason.
- Boys were slightly more likely to attend than girls.
- Amongst statutory school age pupils the percentage of pupils in attendance was highest for pupils in Year 3 and Year 4 (89.6%) and lowest for pupils in Year 11 (86%).
- The most common reason for sessions missed was illness not Covid with 4.5% of sessions missed for this reason.
- Pupils entitled to free school meals continue to be less likely to attend school. The attendance gap between this groups and better off peers is now now 5.6 percentage points.
- 20.5% of pupils (97,095 pupils) have missed more than a week of face to face learning due to a known COVID-19 related reason since 6 September 2021 (5.5 days or more)
- 74.7% of pupils (353,373 pupils) have missed more than a week for any reason since 6 September 2021.
Average school attendance by county in week to March 18
- Anglesey 87.7%
- Gwynedd 85.8%
- Conwy 86.7%
- Denbighshire 87.4%
- Flintshire 86.9%
- Wrexham 88%
- Powys 87.2%
- Ceredigion 86.2%
- Pembrokeshire 84.5%
- Carmarthenshire 87.2%
- Swansea 88.2%
- Neath port Talbot 87.2%
- Bridgend 88.7%
- Vale of Glamorgan 88.5%
- Rhondda Cynon Taf 87.2%
- Merthyr 88.6%
- Caerphilly 86.9%
- Blaenau Gwent 86.3%
- Torfaen 89.3%
- Monmouthshire 89&
- Newport 88.6%
- Cardiff 89.1%
- Wales total: 87.6%
Welsh Government announces cash to help tackle absence
The Welsh Government this week announced £4.9m of funding to increase the number of Family Engagement Officers employed by schools to tackle inequality and absence issues. It is hoped they will tackle the reasons so many children are still off school.
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