Wales’ education secretary vowed to get to grips with secondary school attendance amid concerns it could take more than a decade to recover to pre-pandemic levels.

Lynne Neagle told the Senedd she wants to see pre-pandemic secondary school attendance levels restored by the end of the Senedd term in May next year.

Average attendance – which was 90.5 per cent in 2023/24, down from 94.3 per cent in 2018/19 – has ticked up to 90.9 per cent so far in 2024/25.

Ms Neagle welcomed the small improvements but said: “Progress has been too slow and there is more to do.

“I want to see pre-pandemic levels restored within this Senedd term.

“That will require a collective, sustained effort.”