The Department for Education has issued fresh guidance to schools across England on communicating with parents about pupil attendance, specifically targeting families whose children miss 9 or more days of the school year. The new guidance, released on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, by the DfE and the Labour Party government, forms part of a wider attendance toolkit designed to help schools engage effectively with parents and carers.
Guidance developed with input from parents of children with 5% to 15% absence rates
To create the guidance, the DfE says it spoke to mothers and fathers whose children had absence rates between 5 per cent and 15 per cent. With the 2026-27 school year comprising 190 days, this means parents whose children miss 9 days a year. The DfE's messages were tested with 40 parents in a 7-day online community, looking specifically at how the academic and social aspects of school played into parental decision-making and attitudes on going to school.
Many of these parents had children with 5 to 15 per cent absence rates, the DfE said, where appropriate communications are more likely to make a meaningful difference to outcomes. Outside of this group, reasons for not being in school are often more complex, meaning communication with parents must be embedded in deeper relationship-building and support, the DfE added.
DfE emphasises partnership between schools and parents
The DfE said: "Schools and parents share the same goal: happy, thriving children who feel they belong and achieve their potential. This guide is built on that common ground." The department added: "It's been developed because we know that when schools and parents work together as partners – when parents feel connected, understood and part of the solution – attendance improves."
"Effective communication with parents goes hand in hand with strong relationships – both should be developed and reflected on together. Investing in relationships with parents up front will likely save time and support attendance in the long run," the DfE said. The new guide supports schools to communicate effectively with parents and carers about attendance and serves as part of a wider attendance toolkit.
Impact on schools and families
The guidance is expected to help schools across England strengthen their communication strategies with families, particularly those whose children have moderate absence rates. By focusing on the 5 to 15 per cent absence range, the DfE aims to address attendance issues before they escalate, while acknowledging that more complex cases require deeper relationship-building and additional support beyond standard communications.
