PARENTS may be desperate for help as children struggle says a SEND teacher who has spoken of the the hidden suffering which lies behind the raw data on school absences.
Cllr Sarah Murray, a special educational needs teacher in alternative provision, has called for action after severe school absence in Worcestershire rose for a third consecutive year.
However, Cllr Murray knows first hand that the reasons for absence can be complicated and challenging – and that behind the figures are children and parents who are struggling.
Figures obtained by the Worcester News under the Freedom of Information Act show 2,392 children were classed as severely absent in 2025/6.
That figure compares with 2,252 in 2024/25 and 2,149 in 2023/24. A severely absent pupil is one who misses at least 50 per cent of possible school sessions.
Cllr Murray, a Liberal Democrat city councillor for St Nicholas, said: “Every child deserves an education they can access and thrive in. It is encouraging that the number of persistently absent pupils in Worcestershire has fallen, but deeply concerning that severe absence has risen for the third consecutive year, reaching 2,392 children.”
A total of 15,109 children were classed as persistently absent in 2025/6. This was down from 15,589 in 2024/25 and 18,740 in 2023/24.
A persistently absent child is a pupil of compulsory school age whose attendance falls to 90 per cent or less across the school year.
Cllr Murray said: “Through my work in alternative provision, I see how complicated the reasons behind school absence can be. Anxiety, unmet special educational needs and difficulties within school can leave children struggling to attend and parents desperate for help. We must listen to those families and understand what is preventing attendance.”
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Her comments come as 34 parents or guardians were prosecuted in Worcestershire during 2025/6 for failing to secure their child’s regular school attendance. Court action was brought under the Education Act 1996 and every case ended in court.
There were 13 prosecutions in 2024/25 and 29 in 2023/24.
Cllr Murray said: “Parents have a responsibility to support their children’s education, and enforcement has a place. But a fine cannot resolve an unmet special educational need or make an overwhelmed child feel safe in a classroom.”
The council issued 1,599 fixed penalty notices for unauthorised absence in 2025/6. That was lower than the 2,139 issued during the previous year.
There were 1,797 referrals to the council’s attendance enforcement team in 2025/6. The figure was 2,240 in 2024/25 and 1,055 in 2023/24.
No parenting orders were issued during the last three financial years. Such orders are court measures intended to support parents or guardians when a child is involved in offending, antisocial behaviour or persistent truancy.
Attendance data showed Redditch had the lowest rate in Worcestershire in each of the years covered by the figures. In 2025/6, attendance was 92 per cent in Redditch.
Malvern recorded the highest rate, at 93.10 per cent. It was followed by Wychavon at 92.84 per cent, Bromsgrove at 92.41 per cent, Worcester at 92.16 per cent and Wyre Forest at 92.02 per cent.
Cllr Murray said: “These figures should prompt searching questions about how quickly families receive support, whether children’s needs are being identified and met, and what happens when a child first begins to struggle.”
She also called on Worcestershire County Council to set out its response.
Cllr Murray said: “I want Worcestershire County Council to explain what it is doing to reverse the rise in severe absence and how it measures whether its interventions actually help children return to education. The measure of success must be children learning, feeling safe and rebuilding their confidence.”
Councillor Dr Dan Boatright-Greene, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and SEND at Worcestershire County Council, said: “National challenges aside, ensuring young people can access education, achieve and thrive should be our primary focus. Parents, schools, academy trusts and the County Council have a duty to ensure that all young people can go to school that goes beyond just the legal requirements. In Worcestershire we take a support-first approach, working closely with schools, families and partner agencies to understand and address the barriers affecting attendance. Personally, I feel enforcement is a completely unnecessary tool which is why it should be rarely used, and never when a young person is struggling to access education for health or disability reasons.
“There has been a seismic shift in attendance rates since the pandemic and ensuring that we move back to higher attendance rates is of course a priority. But we also need to recognise that those experiencing severe absence often face complex circumstances, which is why the Council focus is on early intervention and targeted support. Through the Education Engagement Team, the Council provides attendance support to every Worcestershire school, helping schools and families work together to improve attendance outcomes.
“There is no quick fix to the challenges we face, and the Council will continue to take an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to improving educational attendance in Worcestershire. This will include acknowledging where educational gaps exist for those who require specialist school provision, and working with parents and schools to ensure that young people can access an education that works for them. This will include organising a series of events to work with parents, schools and academy trusts so that we all can fully understand the barriers young people face and how we can work together to fix them.”