The Missing Seat: How Schools and Support Systems Are Bringing Students Back

Manchester’s secondary schools have shown modest improvement in attendance, with rates rising to 91.8% and persistent absence falling from 25.7% to 21.9%. Yet nearly a quarter of students still miss significant school time, held back by barriers like economic hardship and mental health issues.

Addressing these challenges effectively requires a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS), which lets schools and alternative providers respond to individual needs rather than enforcing a blanket policy. MTSS provides three levels of support: universal policies for all students, targeted interventions for those beginning to disengage, and intensive support for the most chronically absent. While Manchester’s citywide attendance policies aim to promote regular attendance for everyone, the persistently high absence rate points to the need for more targeted support, especially for students facing significant mental health challenges.

The universal tier focuses on school-wide policies, while targeted interventions—often with alternative providers—offer flexible learning options like online classes for students struggling with attendance. Recognising the critical role of mental health, Manchester is also integrating virtual mental health support into its MTSS framework. Online mental health sessions, accessible from home, are designed to address anxiety, depression, and other issues that frequently disrupt attendance. Early evidence suggests that students with access to virtual support are more likely to attend school regularly.

Manchester’s use of real-time attendance data enables schools to spot absenteeism trends quickly and intervene before absences become chronic. Schools piloting real-time tracking report up to a 12% drop in persistent absence, and alternative providers integrated into MTSS bring added accountability, coordinating responses across educational and mental health support settings.

Incentives for students who meet attendance goals, such as modest vouchers, have also helped boost attendance, and studies show family involvement can improve rates by up to 20%. Manchester’s approach reflects a belief that attendance is not merely a rule to enforce but a metric of overall support. For other cities facing similar challenges, Manchester’s layered strategy—including virtual mental health support—offers a promising model for sustained improvement in school attendance.