Statistics from the Children’s Commissioner found that in the 2022/23 academic year, 22.3% of all pupils were persistently absent – a significant increase from 2018/19, when that figure was 10.9%. This lost time can have a notable impact on children’s development, learning and overall wellbeing.

The specific reasons for school avoidance are sometimes hard to pin down – and it can be even harder to know how best to help absent children return to education. That’s why this week, our Wake up Wednesday guide breaks down some of the causes and effects of school avoidance and provides advice on how you can help young people triumph over this potentially damaging cycle