Over the next two years, £8.8m will be provided to increase school engagement and attendance including £1.5m to provide greater capacity for Family Engagement Officers (FEOs) to support learners with attendance.

While school attendance has increased this year by 0.5 per cent, “increasing standards in schools remain a government priority and improving attendance is a key part of this.”

FEOs are employed to help foster a trusting and positive relationship between schools and families by bridging the gap between school and home life.

Education Secretary Lynne Neagle said: “Improving attendance is one of my top priorities.

“I am happy to see that attendance has improved, but more work needs to be done to tackle the underlying issues causing absenteeism.”