Schools have been warned they are not doing enough to get children into the classroom as absence rates which shot up after the Covid pandemic remain stubbornly high. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said one in five children is persistently absent and that while some schools are “doing really well”, others are “not making enough progress”.

Speaking to headteachers at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) annual conference in Liverpool, she said: “I won’t accept the damage that does to those children. I expect schools to catch up – fast. And I know that’s what schools want too, what you are all working so hard to do. The way we turn this around is through collaboration, partnership and, if we’re honest, old-fashioned graft.”

Last year 1.6 million pupils missed a day of school every two weeks on average - one in ten of all pupils. This is up from 743,308 pupils in the 2018-19 school year, before the pandemic.

A total of 3.6 million children missed 10 days or more of school last year. But children in Year 11 who miss 10 days of school are half as likely to achieve a grade five in English and maths, research from the department shows.

Ms Phillipson also announced a review of special needs education after an inquiry by watchdog the National Audit Office warned the current system was failing, with costs soaring while pupils wait months for an education, health and care plan to ensure they receive the help they need.

It will be led by former headteacher Tom Rees, now head of a national chain of 44 academy schools. He said: “What’s clear is that there is consensus to move beyond just talking about problems and to push forward practical and evidence-led solutions and to build on the good work where it is happening in the system.”

There are 1.9 million children and young people under 25 with special education needs but in a damning report last year the National Audit Office said families and children “lack confidence” in the education system, as “insufficient capacity, and long waiting times contributed to low parental confidence.”