The next item is the statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language on school attendance. I call on the Minister to make his statement—Jeremy Miles.

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. We are all familiar with the challenges the pandemic has presented to our education community. One of which has been the increase in learner absence, across all year groups and across all characteristics of learners. We know there are a range of reasons or underlying causes for learner absence, and this has been further exacerbated over the last two years. This is a key finding to emerge from the review of attendance patterns, which I commissioned at the end of 2021.

To respond to this growing challenge, we will need a whole-system approach. Today, I will be outlining a number of actions that we as a Government will be taking to support the education community in supporting their learners.

There is a well-established link between attendance, attainment and well-being. My priority, above all else, is to ensure that every young person has the opportunity to reach their potential, regardless of their background. Tackling learner absence is key to this. Even before the pandemic, 10.5 per cent of secondary pupils eligible for free school meals were absent, compared to 4.7 per cent of those who aren't eligible. These figures are stark and require a national response.

The high levels of pupil absence have been a UK-wide trend, but we must be cautious about making comparisons. England's figures are based on a survey of schools with a daily response rate of only 50 to 60 per cent, whereas Wales regularly achieves close to 100 per cent of returns from its schools.

Additionally, for most of the pandemic, our data have measured 'not present'. So, every pupil is counted as absent, even if they were learning from home. This is for safeguarding reasons. So, being absent from school is not the same as being absent from learning.

First, I would like to outline a step up in our national communication to families on the importance of their child attending school. The last two years have been incredibly difficult for many families, and it's understandable why this has caused so many of them a degree of anxiety. We have remained mindful of these anxieties, but the balance of harms is now clear.

Young people need to be attending school. They need to be seeing their friends and they need to be learning in the classroom. This is vital for their well-being and for their education. We will therefore be increasing communication with parents and carers to address any concerns that they still have, and emphasise the importance of going to school.

Our emphasis on community focused schools will play a key role in responding to this challenge. Family engagement officers are vital in ensuring that positive partnerships are created and that bespoke support is offered. Schools that know their families well can ensure that measures are put in place that will help children maintain good engagement and attendance. We've recently provided £3.84 million for family engagement officers, who will establish positive relationships with parents and provide clear guidance and information on good attendance.

While fixed-penalty notices for non-attendance have been available to local authorities during the pandemic, we have generally recommended against their use. We are now at a stage where we can revert back to the previous policy, where they can be used as a last resort. We remain clear that fines are to be used in only the most extreme cases, as part of a range of options and when all efforts to engage with the family have been tried and failed, and where it is evident that there are no underlying reasons that are impacting upon attendance at school. Effective immediately, therefore, all local authorities should revert to guidance on the use of fixed-penalty notices contained within the 2013 guidance on penalty notices for regular non-attendance at school.

In recognition of the changing context, we will be updating the all-Wales attendance framework. As part of this work, I am keen that we review the definition of 'persistent' absence, which is currently considered as being more than 20 per cent absent. This is an important measure, as it is often set as the trigger for certain kinds of intervention, such as the involvement of the education welfare service. So, I believe there is merit in considering having a lower threshold for intervention, which would be accompanied with an increase in support for these services.

During the pandemic, absence has been poorest amongst year 11. To support these learners to prepare for exams, we funded the provision of targeted person-centred transition support of £1.28 million for year 11 learners to support them to progress with confidence and make informed decisions about transitions to the next steps, including further education and higher education.

I am also concerned that we should take all the steps we can to minimise the risk that a high level of absence in this group of learners could lead to a higher number shortly not being in education or training. This is why we've provided £8.5 million of dedicated transition funding to colleges and school sixth forms to support young people with their transition to the next stage of their education or career, enabling activities such as mentoring, taster sessions and additional tutoring. 

Estyn, of course, have a role in ensuring that attendance remains a key priority. Estyn will collect data on pupil attendance, and, as part of their pilot inspection framework, are considering schools' and pupil referral units' provision for monitoring and improving attendance. As part of their review of the new inspection arrangements for September 2022, I welcome that Estyn are also now considering how to strengthen their reporting requirements on pupil attendance as part of their increasing focus on equity in education. 

It's vital, Dirprwy Lywydd, that every school has a clear attendance policy. To help ensure that is the case, I'll be asking that all schools publish their attendance polices. These should take a whole-school approach and outline how schools follow up on learner absence, and highlight what actions schools are taking to support learners, particularly procedures for identifying and reintegrating long-term absentees.

The pandemic resulted in an increase in the number of children being home educated. The elective home education proposals we have under development will help to ensure that those learners have access to an efficient and suitable education. The wider package of support we're making available is an essential component that will enhance their learning experience and development opportunities, and will include full access to the educational resources on Hwb. We encourage local authorities to work together with families through a supportive approach to enable a return to school.

Today I have outlined just some of the actions we will be taking. As we transition to a longer term approach for responding to coronavirus, we will continue to work with our partners to ensure children's rights and the right to education are at the centre of all that we do.

Conservative spokesperson, Laura Anne Jones.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you very much for your statement, Minister. We welcome, of course, what you've outlined and what is being done so far on what is a very worrying rise in school attendance at the moment in Wales. Of course, it all comes down to, in my opinion, behaviour, choice and lack of support, and of course the mental health impact of, particularly, COVID.

As you've mentioned, the COVID impact has had a hugely significant effect on all our lives and all aspects of education in Wales. As we know, prior to the pandemic, maintained school attendance data was published annually in a form that was summarised for a whole academic year. The most recent published data for the period before the pandemic is the 2018-19 academic year. However, the data since the start of the pandemic has shown some very worrying trends. There are higher rates of absences in secondary schools, there are higher rates with primary schools, and far more absences for disadvantaged learners, those eligible for free school meals and pupils with additional learning needs, those with an special educational needs statement or on school action plus.

During the pandemic, we have seen that schools have reported to the attendance review that their attendance has been down, typically by 5 per cent and usually within a range of 2 per cent to 10 per cent. As the report highlights, some learners have established a pattern of not attending school during lockdown that they and their families are finding difficult or unnecessary to change. The review even suggests that, even after disaggregating COVID-related reasons, attendance generally has not returned to pre-COVID levels yet. This is clearly an issue. Minister, how are you going to address the issue and encourage the full return to class at at least pre-pandemic levels? Not only do we need to see a firm encouragement back to the classroom, but we need to have better safeguarding and support—mainly support—in place for those who have unexplained long-term absences.

Also, Minister, how are you going to better closely monitor long-term absences, and will you change the related trigger points for interventions to ensure absences aren't missed? It's also known from the attendance review that deteriorating absence can be a precursor to and predictor of a range of behavioural and emotional problems for learners that, if not addressed, may lead to the exclusion of these learners from school. So, really stepping in at the right time—.

And finally, Minister, it is clear that this is now a good chance to tackle truancy and our chance to make sure that students are in the classroom. So, will you undertake further research into the use of fixed-penalty notices and their impact on learner attendance patterns, improving learner experiences, now that fines are returning, to see if they are actually working or not? However, what is clear, though, is that, prior to the pandemic, one of the best ways for improving attendance was based on an acknowledgement that attendance will improve if learners want to come to school and if they find what is offered engaging, interesting and relevant to them, and, of course, obviously, since the pandemic, whether the support's been there or not. I know as I've been going around south-east Wales recently, I've met a lot of pupils that have found it difficult to get back into school, purely because of the mental health impact of the pandemic and the struggles that they had.

We must take a multipronged approach to this issue and use all levers available to Government, whether it be strengthening fixed-penalty notices or ensuring the educational offering is up to a certain standard and enticing for the learner, and that that support—mainly that support—is in place.

Minister, although your statement is a start, we cannot rest on our laurels and we should now be looking to make the most of this opportunity now after this review to ensure that no child needlessly misses time in the classroom if at all possible. Thank you.

I thank Laura Anne Jones for her questions and I think she makes some very, very important points in her contribution, if I may say. I think it is right, as she says, that this is a set of challenges where moving from a pandemic to an endemic state in terms of the school system's response to COVID is absolutely not going to guarantee that we revert to the levels of attendance that happened before COVID. That is absolutely clear, and I absolutely endorse the point that she made that the Government must have a range of levers available to support the system, but that we will make most progress in continuing the approach that we've adopted throughout, which is to support families, support learners to come back into school, so I wholeheartedly agree with those points that she makes.

There is a challenge, obviously, in asking schools, effectively, to grapple with a new set of challenges here, and that is what this entails. So, I hope that the additional investment in relation to the family engagement officer workforce will, as I expect, be valuable and be welcomed. It's through the work of that workforce, that part of our professional workforce, which is around establishing positive relationships with parents, with carers, with learners themselves, providing clear guidance, a clear set of expectations, but also the kind of reassurance that goes with that, and also understanding that, as we have said many times in this Chamber, the experience of individual learners over the last two years is individual to them, isn't it, and I think insofar as we can, to reflect that and to have a kind of bespoke approach tailored to the needs of individual families as far as that's possible.

She asked about the trigger points—I think that was the term that she used—and we will be looking at some of those, including, as I mentioned in my statement, the definition of persistent absence. I worry that is possibly set at too high a level at this point, and so the sorts of interventions that we will need ought to be available— ought to be triggered, if you like—at a lower level of absence, I think, than perhaps they might be otherwise, so I've asked for work to be done to look at that. As you will have seen, that's a recommendation in the report itself.

I do think the link between absence and mental health and well-being is both cause and effect, if you like; I think it has a complex relationship with well-being. And so the work that we are already doing, but building on, in terms of the whole-system approach to emotional and mental well-being, needs to be very mindful of that link and of that connection.

She raised the point in particular around the experience of learners with additional learning needs. We are looking at—. We're going to revise or revisit our guidance on exclusions. We've already commissioned some research from universities to help us understand the connection between exclusion and various characteristics, including additional learning needs, and we'll be working during the course of this year on amending that guidance to provide a more useful tool, reflecting the last two years.

Just to close, I think one of the themes in a number of our interventions is to make the school boundaries more porous, if you like. So, whether it's making Hwb resources available to those who are learning at home, whether it's the expansion of our community-focused schools model, and that includes, also, support to trial the role of community schools managers, it's to enable that bridging of the school world and the world of home to be a little more seamless. And part of that is a review, which is already under way, of our blended learning strategy, which I think goes some way to reflecting at least one of the points that she made in her question, which is about ensuring that when not in school, there is support for those learners to experience blended learning and come back into the world of the school in due course.

On behalf of Plaid Cymru, Heledd Fychan.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. It's wonderful to see so many young people watching us today in the Chamber—a warm welcome to you.

We all know how important school attendance is in terms of children and young people's attainment and well-being, as you noted in your statement. And as one who was in the past a school governor with responsibility for school attendance, I know how challenging it can be for schools, and that teachers across the country are trying all sorts of diverse approaches to ensure that school attendance levels are as high as possible. 

It's important to bear in mind that there are very valid reasons why some children don't attend school. I met a parent who wanted her children's school to scrap a system that rewarded attendance because one of her children had a medical condition that meant that he missed a number of school days because of medical appointments and treatment. Her child felt a failure because of the ongoing messaging within the school on the importance of school attendance and cried if they had to miss a day's school—something that had to happen on a weekly basis. 

I'm pleased to hear the Minister, in terms of the fixed-penalty notices, emphasising that a valid reason would need to be taken into account. Can I ask, therefore, what assessment has been made of the efficacy of the fixed-penalty notice system, and whether any changes have been made to the guidance published in 2013? Because, after all, we have heard stories about parents being given a fixed-penalty notice despite the fact that they have valid reasons. 

The Prosecuting Parents report said that prosecuting parents can be pointless and damaging. The majority that responded to a survey from Prosecuting Parents noted, because of their children's attendance, most refused to go to school because of behavioural, neurological or, as has been referred to, mental health problems, and that they had had problems in getting CAMHS appointments and so forth, and relevant support for their children. Every parent that responded to that survey wanted to see their children attend school, but they said that it was often impossible, because the response was so extreme in terms of fear and anxiety, failure to sleep, self-harm and so on, that it was very traumatic for those parents and carers in trying to get those children to school. And also the children were bullied, sometimes because of their inability to go to school, because of a medical condition and so on. I do think that it's extremely important that we do get this right as you encourage local authorities to give fixed-penalty notices once again. We can't be punishing parents and carers in this situation when there is grave need for more services to support these children and young people.

We also know that the cost-of-living crisis is having a grave impact in terms of school attendance at times. We've referred to it in the past and we know that absences are higher on dressing-up days, such as World Book Day. We also know that if parents are having problems paying for the bus, if the child misses the bus to school, that can be another reason. Also, some parents can only afford to take their children on holiday during the school term. Many headteachers are very sensitive to that if attendance has been high otherwise, but we have to acknowledge that children have a right to have fun and a holiday, not just education, and that families are under huge pressures.

We have to therefore ensure that any strategy and any communication is handled sensitively in terms of those where there are good reasons for lack of attendance, and where attendance of any kind, for example, a child with a number of medical appointments, is something to be celebrated. School targets must take such pupils into account, including the support available for learners and their parents. You made specific reference in terms of Estyn's key role in this and I very much hope that they will ensure that schools will be able to record the range of reasons why a learner may be absent so that we can better understand what the problems are.

You referred in your statement to the investment that was allocated to year 11 students particularly. Clearly, this is a cause of concern and it's good to see that expenditure has been allocated for this. Could the Minister outline how that money was spent and how effective that spending was in terms of improving attendance? And has any assessment been made of this? Thank you. 

I thank Heledd Fychan for those questions. There is nothing in the statement that I made that suggests that the important issues that she raised in her comments should be ignored. It is, of course, important that we tailor the way that we respond to these challenges according to the circumstances of individual pupils and the situations of the different families, and she gave many examples and there are several other valid examples that describe the complex relationship, perhaps, in various contexts between presence and absence and the different factors that she talked about.

One of the main changes from the guidance in 2013—there hasn't been any change to the guidance itself—is to support schools to be able to provide that more supportive approach, to collaborate with families to do what reflects the circumstances of that specific family. So, the additional investment has been made with the intention of creating more capacity and expertise and ability within our schools to be able to make that response. I just want to be clear: she said in her statement about the fact that we encourage local authorities to do this. That's not what I'm doing today, I'm just saying that there's an opportunity to go back to the guidance that we had pre COVID. It's very important that this happens as part of a range of steps that local authorities and schools can take. And as I said in my response to Laura Anne Jones, we have to support and collaborate, and that is the most constructive way for the majority of people to ensure that their children are present in school.

She makes an important point in terms of the costs of the school day. The Member will know, of course, that we have taken several steps to support those families who have greatest difficulty in affording some of those main cost elements with regard to the school day, and we have also provided further guidance in collaboration with the third sector to ensure that schools do have specific guidance in terms of how to decrease the important risk that she talked about, and that that happens. The experience of knowing that you can't afford, as she said, a costume or to attend school on specific days, that is, of course, a concern to many families. So, it is important that schools do respond to those guidelines.

Just to conclude, every part of the education system, I believe, has a role to play in this, and as she said in her questions, Estyn has an important role to play in ensuring that the relationship with schools is there to understand what the patterns are, to understand what the data are, but also to understand why this happens—that is part of the analysis and the response. 

And finally, Jayne Bryant, Chair of the Children, Young People, and Education Committee.

Diolch, Deputy Llywydd, and thank you, Minister, for your very welcome statement this afternoon and the details that you've provided within that. As you've said, tackling learner absence is key, and I think we've all agreed today that it really is a crucial issue. I do recognise the difficulties in tackling it with the additional challenges brought about by the pandemic. The Children, Young People, and Education Committee will be starting a short, focused piece of work, looking at the issues around pupil attendance, and will take account of your statement today and the report.

I'd just like to focus on one aspect, and other Members have touched on it as well. When the committee wrote to local authorities about how they were dealing with persistent absence, some indicated that local authorities would like to see the reintroduction of the fixed-penalty notices. And you've announced today that the advice from Welsh Government on the use of fixed-penalty notices has changed, from it not being advised to use them to saying it may be appropriate for a small number of cases relating to persistent absence that are unrelated to the COVID pandemic. And you've said yourself today that you see it as being a last resort. So, what role do you think that those fixed-penalty notices can play in relation to dealing with persistent absences in schools? And how will you continue to monitor this as a tool, and the impact on the mental well-being of our children and young people?

I thank Jayne Bryant for those remarks and those questions. When I made my statement, I want to be clear about what we are doing: we have never at any point, in fact, changed the law in relation to fixed-penalty notices. She may remember that we decided not to do that, but that we would express a view, if you like, about the extent to which they should be used in the context of the last two years. And what we are doing today is simply saying that the guidance that existed previously should be reinstated. But her question provides me with the opportunity of emphasising once again that I think it's important to see—in the way that Laura Anne Jones was saying in her question—this as part of a range of steps and that, actually, the focus will very much be on supporting learners and families to make sure, through the work of family engagement officers, through the guidance, the reassurance, through the work in relation to the blended learning review, through that fresh look at the point at which the various supportive interventions that are available to school start to be made available, by looking again at the persistent absence threshold in particular, but other trigger points as well, all of those interventions come together. And I know that she will have seen this in the report: there is a sense of the range of tools that schools have available to them and I'm very clear that it'll be in a very small number of cases that notices will be unfortunately needed. For the overwhelming majority, I'm confident that the work that schools will do, which they're very skilled at doing, and with the additional resources that we are providing, I'm confident that, for most learners, for most families, that will be the best way for making sure that learners come back to school, learn with their peers face to face with their teachers, which is very beneficial in terms of their education, but also, as a number of contributions reflected today, absolutely essential to their well-being as well.

I thank the Minister.

Before we move on, I'm sure Members will join me in saying that it was a pleasure to see so many young people in the gallery today, and also commending them on their exceptional behaviour when they were there, and it was great to see more coming in. I believe they were from Y Wern school.