The FFT data lab have been investigating whether there is a correlation between absence levels and the distance pupils live from school.
Although intuition would suggest there is, this is the first time the FFT team have taken a look at the data analytically.
Unsurprisingly results suggest that the further children live from school the higher the absence levels tend to be. This is increased further when the family is disadvantaged.
Although the reasons for this remain unclear it is possible that factors such as lack of access to public transport and financial constraints may prove a factor here and may be worth considering in our own contexts. For example, if a family have to rely on a bus pass for a child to get to school in the morning and the child then misses the bus, how simple is it for that child to subsequently get to school – how often does public transport run and/or can parents afford the additional cost? If these are barriers to attendance, how can we as schools offer support?
Are pupils who live further away from their school absent more often? – FFT Education Datalab
