Steep fall in attendance after Covid could become ‘generational’ if not urgently tackled, school leaders say

Schools are turning to innovative techniques to entice children back into the classroom, as school leaders warn that high levels of absence will become “generational” unless urgently tackled.

Therapy dogs, prize vouchers, wellness sessions, taxi rides and shepherd’s huts are being put to use by schools in England and Wales seeking to draw “anxious avoiders” to regularly attend.