The Gov.uk website explains that the term Persistently Absent is used to describe Pupils who regularly "fail to turn up" and have an attendance record of less than 90%. However, this makes no consideration for Pupils with SEN who often have authorised medical absences related to their conditions.
Employers and other educational institutions can and do often ask for an assurance that the pupils attendance has been satisfactory but currently the Persistently Absent criteria makes no differentiation between authorised medical absences and the child simply playing truant. Please make this policy more inclusionary by ending the classification of SEN pupils as "Persistently Absent" when the absences have been authorised and are on medical grounds related to their condition.