Tom Bennett and Jayne Lowe have been appointed as the government’s behaviour and attendance ambassadors, the Department for Education has announced today.
It comes after the DfE failed to appoint ambassadors by its own publicly stated deadline, as Tes revealed in July.
Mr Bennett returns to his role after advising the DfE on attendance for a decade. He also led the previous government’s behaviour hubs programme until it ended in March.
Tes first confirmed he was applying for the role in May after his contract expired in the spring.
Ms Lowe is a former headteacher of a pupil referral unit and has advised the DfE on behaviour, attendance and the youth custody service.
Just 19 people expressed interest in the two roles, which will oversee the government’s merged attendance and behaviour hubs that are due to start in September.
Parents ‘need to do more’ on behaviour
The new programme will share proven strategies from school leaders who have successfully turned around attendance and behaviour, the government said.
Attendance in English schools had the biggest year-on-year improvement in a decade in 2024-25, but severe absence remains stubbornly high.
Suspensions and permanent exclusions from school resulting from physical assaults on adults have soared in the past four years, government data shows.
Announcing the new ambassadors today, education secretary Bridget Phillipson emphasised the role of families in improving attendance.
“We all need to do more when it comes to getting kids in and behaving. This includes mums, dads and carers, too,” Ms Phillipson said.
“We know what works: strong leadership, consistent attendance and schools standing shoulder to shoulder with families. That’s why we’re investing in proven expertise so that schools facing the biggest challenges can get the support they need.”
The DfE’s upcoming Schools White Paper will set out plans to crack down on bad behaviour, “giving schools support and continued accountability while recognising the vital role that parents and families have to play”, the government said.
Attendance and behaviour hubs
The government has also confirmed the 21 schools selected in the first wave of attendance and behaviour hubs.
Some 5,000 schools are in line to benefit across the whole programme, with 500 of those in most need receiving intensive, targeted help.
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