Missing school - Bradley's story

Available for over a year

Before Covid, Bradley loved school. But like all teenagers his life was disrupted when the UK went into lockdown, and his attendance dropped off. He even says lockdown "ruined" the way he saw his education. Then, in summer 2021, when Covid was finally in the rear-view mirror, his world fell apart. His dad, the person who kept him on the straight and narrow, died after a sudden illness - making it even more difficult to concentrate on his studies. That autumn - at the start of the new school year - he didn't turn up at all. Since then, with the help help of music and football, and the support of his school, Bradley's attendance has improved, and he's determined to get a good set of GCSE's next summer. The BBC's Education Editor, Branwen Jeffreys, has been following teenagers who’ve struggled to attend school as part of a Panorama investigation. This is 5 Minutes On - Bradley's story. Credit Image: BBC News