The education secretary has vowed to tackle persistent pupil absences "head on", describing it as a "key priority".
In a speech to head teachers on Saturday, Nadhim Zahawi said disadvantaged children lose out most from not being in school.
Ahead of the spending review later this month, he pledged to invest "record sums" in children's education.
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Hundreds of English schools still at risk from crumbling concrete
Hundreds of schools in England are still at risk of collapse from crumbling concrete, according to previously unpublished figures. Official data, which the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
Thousands of young people placed in council care more than 20 miles away from home, analysis shows
A third of children in council care in 2023 lived over 20 miles away from their local area, school and family – around 4,600 people in total.
£600m boost for social care next year announced in Budget
Councils’ available spending to grow by an estimated 3.2% in real terms in 2025-26, with authorities also given £250m to test new approaches in children’s
