RISING rates of pupil absences in secondary schools have led to disadvantaged young people falling further behind their peers since the pandemic, a report has suggested.

The growth in the disadvantage gap since 2019, the year before the pandemic, at age 16 can be “entirely explained by higher levels of absence” for disadvantaged pupils, according to today’s report by the Education Policy Institute think tank.

It found that at each stage of schooling, more than half of the gap is explained by the size of the disadvantage gap in earlier phases: by age seven, nearly 60 per cent of the gap at age 11 has already developed.

The attainment gap widened for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in reception compared to their peers since the pandemic.

The think tank is calling on the government to address the root causes of pupil absences in order to tackle the disadvantage gap. Its report recommends that the government should prioritise early intervention and improve school readiness by increasing the early years pupil premium to match the pupil premium in later years.

Association of School & College Leaders (ASCL) general secretary Pepe Di’Iasio said: “Too often, the burden of ensuring children attend school falls entirely on teachers and leaders, who are then held accountable for absences beyond their control.

“Without a broader system of support, it is extremely difficult for schools to drive meaningful change in attendance rates.”

The Department for Education said: “Through our Plan for Change we are focused on tackling the root causes of absence.”