More than 140,000 schoolchildren in England were officially "severely absent" in the summer term of 2022, according to official Department of Education figures - and the number of these pupils, missing at least 50% of classes, is growing.
They are away from school for a variety of reasons - including anxiety and mental health, special educational needs and disabilities. But, like me when I was growing up, some of the children are likely to be extremely vulnerable.
Many of them stopped attending school during the pandemic - to never return. And now, they are not really on anyone's radar.
I know how important school becomes when home isn't safe, because I was that vulnerable kid. My childhood was something to survive, with abuse the consistent feature of my early years.
I grew up in a Derbyshire village called Inkersall, and I still remember how it felt to walk through the doors of my small primary school each morning.
