Education Secretary Urges Parents to Help Improve School Attendance and Behavior

As of August 31, 2025, the Education Secretary has issued a call for parents, schools, and families to join the government's efforts to improve school attendance and behavior. The Department for Education (DfE) has announced that around 600,000 pupils in 800 schools will have access to support from experienced school leaders who have successfully tackled attendance and behavior issues.

The Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has expressed particular concern about the challenges faced by white working-class children. Statistics show that one in 10 white children on free school meals were suspended last year, with suspension rates five times higher than their peers. This group also has among the highest overall absence rates. Phillipson stated that "for far too many white working-class children, opportunity is out of reach" and that "it is only this Government that has the courage to upend a system that has resolutely failed white working-class children."

The DfE's upcoming schools white paper is expected to outline further plans to tackle behavior issues in schools. In the meantime, the government has announced the initial wave of 21 schools that will serve as attendance and behavior hubs, sharing strategies from successful school leaders to support 800 schools attended by around 600,000 pupils.