The role of low language proficiency in school absence and subsequent academic attainment over the course of primary education

School absence is associated with a range of adverse outcomes, including poor academic achievement. Surprisingly little research has considered the role of language proficiency in school absence or tested school absence as a mediator in the relationship between language proficiency and academic achievement. Data for 6370 children from the SCALES population cohort were linked with the National Pupil Database information on school absence and SEND registration. We used path models to determine the unique effect of low language proficiency at school entry on absence when SEND status and a broader measure of school readiness was taken into account. We investigated the extent to which school absence rates mediated the well-established relationship between low language proficiency and academic under-attainment at the end of primary school. Children with low language proficiency were more 2.5 times as likely to be persistently absent in each school year and repeatedly persistently absent across school years relative to peers. SEND, school readiness and low language proficiency were strongly interrelated. All registered SEND categories contained high rates of children with low language proficiency, ranging from 25 – 70% of children in each category. While SEND and school readiness measures were the strongest predictors of persistent absence, low language proficiency contributed uniquely to prediction of school absence. Absence partly mediated the relationship between language proficiency and later academic achievement. Efforts to keep children in school should include focus on adapting educational materials and teaching styles to foster better communication and classroom participation in children with low language proficiency.