Mr Seely supports the Bill introduced by Vicky Ford and Mary Drummond, highlighting concerns about home schooling on the Isle of Wight where absenteeism is over three times the national average. He worries that some children may be drifting into isolation or criminality due to lack of attendance.

Acknowledges the right hon. Member's point about mental health affecting school attendance, highlighting that one in eight young people in Northern Ireland experience anxiety, 25% higher than in the rest of the UK, and calls for a focus on mental health across the United Kingdom.

Mr Clifton-Brown discussed the challenges of school attendance, highlighting that 24% of identified SEND pupils have an EHCP and 97% of school leaders think funding for all SEND pupils is insufficient. He mentioned a significant increase in absenteeism during and after the pandemic, with a 7.3% overall absence rate in Gloucestershire during the autumn term of 2022-23 compared to 6.6% in 2021. He also noted that just 11.3% of severely absent pupils achieved grades 9 to 4 in English and maths, contrasting with 67.6% of all pupils. Mr Clifton-Brown asks the Minister to address the issue of long waiting lists for mental health services in Gloucestershire, suggesting that better liaison between local education authorities and Department of Health and Social Care is needed.

Ms Hayes highlighted the importance of attendance in providing children with a strong educational foundation, citing new research indicating that over one-quarter of parents view school as non-essential daily. She noted an increase in persistent absence rates under the Conservative government since 2010, reaching nearly double by 2022-23, affecting more than 88,000 secondary school pupils missing at least half their education last year. She called for urgent action to address this issue.

Commends the right hon. Lady for bringing forward an important debate on school attendance, raising concerns about mixed messages during the covid period that have left parents more complacent about children's attendance or expecting online learning to catch up missed classes. Emphasises there is no substitute for in-school learning and teachers should not be expected to provide additional prep and delivery for children kept at home by their parents.

My hon. Friend suggests that we need a coherent strategy for tackling persistent absence, including a new register for home schooling to track these pupils.

School absences are a significant issue in County Durham, with over 1,000 absences reported in the autumn and spring terms of 2022-23. This represents a sharp rise from fewer than 250 absences recorded in 2016-17. The Labour party predicts that this number could increase to well over 1,800 by 2026-27, unless there is policy or government change. Ms Foy discusses missed meetings with the Minister for Schools and emphasizes the need for mitigation measures to address lost education, particularly mentioning 18 weeks without specialist equipment for coursework affecting exam students.