To ask the Minister of Education to detail any action his Department is taking to improve school attendance among pupils entitled to free school meals prior to Key Stage 5.

Regular pupil attendance at school is an ongoing challenge which has been significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and, more recently, by what is referred to as Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance. Subsequently, my Department is developing a new Pupil Attendance Strategy to support all children and young people to attend school every day. The public consultation on the draft strategy concluded on 6 March, and officials are currently considering all responses and preparing recommendations for my consideration. The final Attendance Matters strategy will be published as soon as possible thereafter.