Schools must create welcoming and "inclusive" spaces for pupils to tackle the country's absence epidemic, the Education Secretary has said.Bridget Phillipson told hundreds of academy trust chiefs that the Government "won't accept" poor attendance levels caused by leadership practices.On Thursday, the Education Secretary said young people need to feel they "belong in school" to tackle high pupil absences and improve the outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send).

Schools must create welcoming and "inclusive" spaces for pupils to tackle the country's absence epidemic, the Education Secretary has said.Bridget Phillipson told hundreds of academy trust chiefs that the Government "won't accept" poor attendance levels caused by leadership practices.On Thursday, the Education Secretary said young people need to feel they "belong in school" to tackle high pupil absences and improve the outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send).