ABSENCE levels in Hampshire have been reduced this academic year but are still higher than pre-pandemic levels, according to national statistics.

In England, 6.7 per cent of possible sessions were recorded as absent in the autumn term 2023/24, a decrease from 7.5 percent in the autumn term 2022/23 but higher than the pre-pandemic rates, which were consistently below five per cent.

During the Education Advisory Panel (Wednesday, June 19), the inclusion support service manager, Jon Willcocks, updated the panel on the levels of absenteeism in the Hampshire local authority.

Data showed that in 2022/23, Hampshire County Council recorded seven per cent absenteeism in primary, secondary, and special needs schools combined.

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National Statistics indicates that for the last academic year, 23/24, Hampshire had an overall absence of 6.4 per cent, which is in line with the national trend. This excludes Portsmouth and Southampton which come under the area of the two city councils.

Mr Willcocks indicated that Hampshire schools are working “very hard” to improve attendance and making attendance a “key priority".

Mr Willcocks said: “Headteachers are really mindful and really aware of the pressures around attendance. Our Hampshire schools are thoughtful, responsive and working very hard to improve attendance in young people.

“We are strengthening the current system, and we have to make sure that we are actually doing everything we can, collectively as a team, to make sure we work very hard to make attendance a key priority. Every day missed is a learning opportunity gone.”

In regards to ‘persistent absentees’, Mr Willcocks said the council is “focused” on that area since it is higher than the overall absenteeism and despite a reduction.

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Almost 18.5 per cent of pupils were persistently absent in 22/23, compared with 17.7 per cent in 23/24 and 19.4 per cent nationally.

Homeschooling is also increasing across the country and in Hampshire. The Department for Education’s data shows that the number of school-age children being home-educated increased from under 81,000 in autumn 2022 to 92,000 in autumn 2023.

In the 2020/21 academic year, Hampshire County Council reported 1,355 children in elective home education (EHE).

The latest data indicated that the council reported 3,593 homeschooled children in 2023, compared with 623 in 2013.

Parents indicated that ideology is one of the reasons for homeschooling.

In this matter, the county council said they have been working “carefully” to “remove barriers” and get children back to school “when ideology is the reason for homeschooling”.

Cllr Jackie Parker, also school governor, said that her school headteacher “has talked to parents saying that homeschooling children become lonely and isolated because they don’t have friends".

Cllr Jackie Branson highlighted that a school “is so much more than the learning, is where children become citizens.”