Attendance and behaviour have worsened among some groups in York schools.
Reports published by the City of York Council show that while attendance for primary school children has improved, some demographics of secondary school children are increasingly missing out on their education.
Children who have special education needs (SEN) but don’t have an education, health and care plan (EHCP) decreased in attendance in the 2022/23 school year.
This was also true for children without SEN and children who receive free school meals.
However, children who have SEN and have an EHCP had an increase in attendance.
Attendance improved when considering all students.
“The picture for primary absences is improving,” Dan Bodey, school inclusion advisor at the City of York Council said.
He added: “In terms of secondary there are less positives in terms of [its] data.
“We are below national [statistics] for all students and we are particularly below national [statistics] for SEND students and for those in receipt of free school meals.”
Persistent absences (children whose attendance is less than 90 per cent) are below the national average.
Severe absences (below 50 per cent) have decreased, but national statistics are not yet available.
Cllr Bob Webb, executive member for education, said: “I am arranging meetings with the various CEOs of the trusts and I will make it quite clear that I want to see positive work from them on how they can make their school an inclusive environment.”
He added: “I think it is worth highlighting that it’s a concern that we’ve got young people who receive free school meals and young people with SENs who disproportionately are affected by this in comparison to those who are not.”
Poverty is biting
Cllr Emily Nelson said: “For me free school meals receiving pupils, the data on that within this report is really quite outstanding, concerning and shocking.”
Exclusions and suspensions have also increased in York, as it has nationally, but particularly in the west of the city.
The west cluster of schools in York had 88 suspensions last year, while the second highest was in the north of the city with 36.
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Cllr Webb said: “Poverty is biting and young people and their family’s lives are probably harder now than they have been in a long time and that will certainly impact the behaviours that are seen in schools and that should be something that we consider.”
Cllr Jonny Crawshaw suggested schools should be asking children what they need to improve their school life.
“There’s no one magic fix at all but I think sometimes, particularly in secondary schools, young people are able to articulate quite well what it is that they need that they’re not getting,” he said.
The average cost for a permanently excluded child for the remainder of life is calculated to be £370,000 to the local authority.
There were no recommendations for any further action regarding the reports.