Neurodiverse conditions in non-attending schoolchildren (FOI)

​​Request

The Children's Minister recently wrote to the Chair of the Children's, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny panel with details of school absences:

"The data for the % of children with attendance below 90% (persistent absence) for the last three years is shown below. This includes children in all mainstream schools from reception to year 11 but excludes the Summer term for year 11 pupils. It is calculated using am attendance. Events leading to school closures such as Storm Ciaran, Covid-19 and teacher strikes have been excluded. 

2022-2023 16.9% 

2021-2022 26.2% 

2020-2021 12.2% 

The department is currently focussing on raising school attendance and has recently started to monitor those students on a part-time timetable. Below is the data for the Autumn term for the current year 2023-24 2023-2024 18.1%"

Please show any data on how many of these children with attendance below 90% have a neurodiverse condition such as ADHD or Autism for the three academic years as above. 

Response 

Please see below the number of pupils in Government of Jersey schools with an identified SEN/D of “Autism Spectrum Disorder” who had attendance rates below 90%.  For context, the total number of children with SEN/D of Autism Spectrum Disorder (Record of Need or SEN Support) has been provided as this number has increased over the three year period.

It is not possible to provide similar data for children with ADHD as they are included within a larger SEN/D category of Social, Emotional and Mental Health.​