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DfE Rolls Out AI-Set Attendance Targets for Every School, Launches 36 Support Hubs

Ministers pair school-specific benchmarks with new support hubs under a pledge of confidentiality.

Overview

  • From this month, schools will receive AI-generated Attendance Baseline Improvement Expectations on a test-and-learn basis, calibrated to location, pupil needs and deprivation.
  • Each report will link schools to higher-performing peers with similar contexts and include best-practice toolkits focused on key transition years.
  • Targets will not be published or shared with Ofsted, and schools that miss expectations will be referred to RISE teams for support.
  • Thirty-six Attendance and Behaviour Hubs open today as part of a wider plan for 90 hubs reaching 5,000 schools and giving targeted help to 500 settings.
  • Leaders of ASCL and NAHT criticize the move as adding pressure without addressing drivers of absence, urging more resources for schools.