By Tilly Walder
The Isle of Wight’s low school attendance figures and below-average exam results are sometimes spoken about in the same breath, as though one automatically explains the other. Pupils out of classrooms must mean lower grades, the argument goes. While attendance clearly matters, the reality is far more complex. Low attendance does not always equal low skill or ability, and focusing only on numbers risks missing the most important factor of all: the child.
I don’t deny that persistent absence is a serious issue. Schools provide structure, routine and access to teachers trained to support learning. For many pupils, being present is essential for keeping up with lessons, building confidence, and forming important friendships.
When children are consistently missing large chunks of school, they can fall behind and feel disconnected, which makes returning even harder.
But to assume that every child with poor attendance will inevitably achieve low grades is a huge mistake. Of course, some students miss school through lack of motivation or simple unwillingness to attend. However, this ignores a far more important question: why don’t students want to go to school in the first place? Anxiety, bullying, special educational needs, health conditions, and family pressures all play a role. For many children, absence is a sign that something in their school experience is not working for them.
There are also pupils who, despite irregular attendance, work hard independently, complete coursework and perform well in exams.
Learning does not only happen between the times the school gates open and close, and achievement cannot be measured by physical presence in a classroom. A child who feels safe, supported and understood will often achieve more than one who attends every day but feels overwhelmed or disengaged.
One danger of linking attendance and grades too tightly is that it can lead to blame rather than understanding. Families may be labelled as careless, and children as lazy, when sometimes the truth is more complicated.
If the Island truly wants to improve outcomes for its young people, it must look beyond attendance alone. Support services, mental health provision, flexible learning options and stronger relationships between schools and families are as important as tick marks on registers.
Teachers know that every child learns differently, and education policy should reflect that reality.
Of course, attendance should still be encouraged and supported. School remains an incredibly vital space for learning and social development. But success should be defined more broadly than percentages.
Until we start asking why pupils are absent, rather than only how many, we will struggle to give them the futures they deserve.
Carole Dennett