Devon headteacher of online school calls for new approach to tackling the school absence crisis

Queen’s Online School: Digital learning can help tackle UK’s £28bn school absence crisis

A new report from the Centre for Social Justice (Absent Ambition, Sept 2025) warns that persistent school absence has reached “crisis levels”, with nearly one in five pupils missing significant school time in 2023/24 and lifetime earnings losses estimated at £28.3 billion.

Following the launch of the report, Queen’s Online School today called for a new approach to tackling the crisis that recognises the role of flexible, high-quality online education in keeping young people engaged and learning.

“The report makes clear that absence is about more than missed registers, it’s about lost ambition, lost opportunity, and lost potential,” said Lisa Boorman, Headteacher at Queen’s Online School, who is based in Devon.

“At Queen’s Online School, we see every day how online learning can reconnect young people who might otherwise disappear from the system. Whether it’s anxiety, special needs, or family disruption, our model ensures education doesn’t stop just because classroom attendance does.”

The CSJ report identifies three root causes of the crisis:

Breakdown of trust between schools and families
Declining ambition and weak link between school and work
A challenging parenting landscape

Queen’s Online School addresses these head-on by:

Offering flexible timetables that support parents and reduce conflict at home
Linking learning with the real world through digital enrichment and work-related pathways
Providing an inclusive, supportive environment that removes barriers for anxious or excluded pupils

While the Centre for Social Justice proposes in its report stronger fines and enforcement, Queen’s Online School argues that positive alternatives are already working.

“This report shows the urgency of action. But enforcement alone won’t rebuild ambition. Innovative pathways like online schooling are a practical, scalable way to keep children engaged, educated, and future-ready,” added Ms Boorman.

Queen’s is now calling for government and local authorities to recognise online provision as a core tool in solving the absence crisis, alongside the report’s recommendations on attendance mentors, enrichment, and family support.