Why do children miss school?
Shakespeare wrote about “the whining school-boy… creeping like snail unwillingly to school”, so reluctance to attend school is nothing new. But post-pandemic, absenteeism has soared. Of the 4.5 million children in primary schools, around 240,000 are absent every day.
The most commonly cited reason for absence is anxiety and poor mental health. This is deeply worrying, because for many children the rhythm, structure and social life of school are exactly what help build confidence and security.
Politicians often turn to sanctions for parents. There may sometimes be a place for that. But surely the real question is this: if children are excited and happy to go to school, would parents really keep them away?
One unintended consequence of recent education reforms has been the steady squeezing out of the arts. Schools are expected by OFSTED to provide arts education, yet there is often little funding, little curriculum time and increasingly few teachers trained to teach it confidently.
Many younger teachers have had minimal exposure themselves to art, music or drama during training. Faced with pressure on core subjects and limited resources, schools can end up narrowing the school day further, even though this may disengage the very children struggling most.
At Cotswolds Arts Through Schools we see a different approach working. Professional artists come into schools to lead inspiring workshops – painting, pottery, modelling, papier-mâché and more… supported by teacher CPD and properly resourced art cupboards.
When a school day includes singing, storytelling, painting, acting or dance, children engage differently. Confidence grows. Classrooms become calmer and more collaborative. Attendance improves because children genuinely want to be there.
Opera workshops, African drumming and dance sessions can completely transform engagement, particularly for children with SEND or anxiety. Creative experiences build joy, resilience, co-operation and self-belief… qualities every child needs.
At a time of rising mental health challenges and growing school absence, perhaps the answer is not more pressure, but more creativity.
Talent, curiosity and joy should not be optional extras in education.
