AQW 9567/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 08/04/2024
Answered On Date: 10/04/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education for his assessment of the success of the (i) Monitoring and Reporting Pupil Attendance Using Absence Tiers guidance document; and (ii) Miss School Miss Out strategy in addressing the number of children entitled to free school meals missing out on school.

Answer:

There has been no formal assessment of the Absence Tiers guidance but feedback to date has been positive as the data enables schools to better focus interventions where they will be most effective. Schools are also able to compare their own Absence Tiers report with benchmarking data which is published monthly on the DE website.

The “Miss School. Miss Out” strategy is currently being reviewed. The strategy provides an overview of the ways in which schools can support all children to attend school regularly. Particular attention should be paid by schools to pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds including those in receipt of free school meals.