Parents overwhelming value and trust schools across the UK, but a significant minority want more support regarding their child’s attendance or academic performance, according to polling carried out for the Centre for Social Justice.

YouGov carried out polling of nearly 7000 adults across the UK in December 2023, asking questions about children’s absence rates and parents’ relationships with schools. The details have been released as part of the publication of a new report into school attendance form the CSJ.

Nearly nine out of ten parents (88 percent) say every single day of school matters and children should attend as much as possible – and just 8 percent disagree. However, 28 percent say the pandemic has shown that it is not essential for children to attend school every single day.

73% said absences of their children in past 12 months had been for sickness, medical or dental appointments, and 8% said it was for diagnosed mental health reasons. Other reasons for absence included compassionate reasons (eight percent), anxiety about school (eight percent), and bullying or the threat of violence (five percent). A total of 13% said that their child had missed school to go on holiday during term time.

However, polling data also shows that most people across the UK think that schools are doing a good job, with 81% saying that they trust their children’s primary school to provide a quality education. A similar picture can be seen when parents are asked if primary schools are meeting their child’s needs – 75% agree with this at a UK level.

At secondary school level, the survey found slightly less confidence amongst parents. Across the UK, 70% said that they trust the school to provide quality education for their children, and 61% said that it is meeting their child’s needs.

At both primary and secondary level, just under a fifth of respondents said that they are worried about their child’s school attendance and would like more support. Around a third said that they are worried about their child’s academic performance at school.

Leanne McGuire of the Glasgow City Parent Group said parental responses are encouraging but that there is a “growing need for additional support.”

“The past four years have been challenging, particularly for children, and many parents are struggling to navigate these difficulties. While schools should not be the sole source of support for parents, it's crucial to recognise that parents often need as much support as their children. We must explore ways to better signpost parents to the specialist resources they need, while also strengthening the relationship between schools and families to ensure they feel supported and empowered to seek help when necessary.”

Gavin Yates, Executive Director of national parent group Connect, said:

“The polling clearly shows that parents overwhelmingly want their children in school and learning productively.

“However, it’s also clear that there are distinct challenges too. The reduction in parental confidence between primary and secondary is a concerning statistic and this mirrors the experience of many parents in Scotland.

“The contract between parents and learners and the state is being stretched to the limit. Children in multi-class arrangements due to teacher absence and no cover doing worksheets, school transport being reduced forcing children onto packed buses and school buildings and facilities in poor states of repair, all severely damage parent confidence.

“To improve attendance and attainment there is an urgent need to build parents confidence that everything that should be being done in our schools and wider community, is actually done.”