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England Rolls Out AI-Set Attendance Targets for Every School

Ministers say confidential school-by-school expectations will drive a return to pre-pandemic attendance.

Overview

  • The Department for Education has begun issuing Attendance Baseline Improvement Expectations this month, using AI to set minimum gains for 2024–25.
  • Each target reflects local context, including location, pupil needs and deprivation, and pairs reports with examples of higher-attending peer schools.
  • Targets will not be published or shared with Ofsted, with progress used to direct support rather than formal accountability.
  • Thirty-six new Attendance and Behaviour Hubs launch today, with referrals to regional RISE teams for schools that fall short.
  • Teaching unions NAHT and ASCL criticise the plan as extra pressure that overlooks factors outside schools’ control.