Absent Ambition: Reclaiming Futures Through Reducing Absence

On the 8th September the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), launched a landmark report, Absent Ambition, funded by The Rigby Foundation, exposing the deep-rooted crisis of school absence across the UK—and calling for a national reset in how we support families, schools, and communities.

The findings are sobering:

• 1.5 million children were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of school time in 2023/24 —double the pre-pandemic rate.
• Analysis from the DfE suggests that secondary school pupils in the West Midlands would earn over £4 billion more over their lifetimes if the absence rate in this region was the same as the absence rate in London. (Source: Department for Education (2025)
• The crisis is most acute in secondary schools, deprived areas, and among children facing family instability, mental health challenges, or low educational ambition.

This report is a blueprint for change.  Within it the CSJ outlines 23 bold, practical recommendations to tackle absence at its roots, including:

• Providing support and guidance for parents
• Rebuilding educational ambition and engagement
• Renewing the Home-School Relationship

At The Rigby Foundation, we believe that absence from school is a signal that something deeper is broken in the lives of children and families. That’s why we’re proud to support this report and champion its call for systemic change.

Our Inspiring Futures programme, a ground-breaking social mobility project, aimed at supporting 11- to 25-year-olds from low-income backgrounds, is already putting many of these recommendations into practice:

• We support enrichment activities that foster belonging, confidence, and aspiration, especially for those who feel excluded from traditional education.
• Our partnerships facilitate collaboration between schools and charities; providing targeted support to young people who are most at risk.
• Our programs provide meaningful work experience opportunities, helping young people see a future worth striving for.

Our wider partnership work also funds and embeds Family Support Workers in schools to build trust with parents, offer practical help, and re-engage children with learning. Through our strategic approach to funding, we are making a promise to stand with schools, families, and communities to ensure every child has the chance to thrive.

We invite educators, policymakers, philanthropists, and community leaders to read the full report and reflect on what role we can each play in reversing this crisis. Read more here https://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/CSJ-Absent_Ambition.pdf