The problem
Pupils miss parts of the curriculum all the time due to illness, medical appointments, internal exclusion, school trips or other reasons. Over a term or a year, these small gaps add up. It is hard for teachers to manage what has been missed, whether catch-up has been completed and whether pupils are really keeping up with the curriculum.
Analysis by The Difference and the IPPR found that, in autumn 2023/24 alone, pupils in England missed around 11.5 million learning days – a 67% increase since before the pandemic.
Why it matters
Lost learning is not spread evenly and widens existing attainment gaps. Pupils with irregular attendance, pupils with SEND, or socioeconomically disadvantaged pupils (for example those eligible for pupil premium) are more likely to miss key learning and quietly fall behind. At the same time, teachers spend significant time setting and chasing catch-up, often without a clear, lesson-level picture of what has been missed or recovered.
Ofsted’s new inspection framework puts much greater weight on attendance, behaviour and inclusion, and on how quickly schools identify and address knowledge gaps so pupils can access and engage with the curriculum. There is a clear shift towards keeping up rather than catching up: inspectors are asked to look at the day-to-day processes and evidence schools use, not just whether a catch-up policy exists.
How Noticed tackles the problem
Co-developed with frontline secondary school teachers, Noticed bridges attendance data and the taught curriculum so that all pupils can keep up and fully engage in their learning. And here's how:
Identify lost learning
When pupils miss all or part of a lesson, Noticed identifies what learning has been lost
Pinpoint missed objectives
It uses the taught curriculum to pinpoint the specific learning objectives pupils have missed
Provide learning materials
It provides evidence-informed learning materials so pupils can recover this learning and keep up
Show progress clearly
It gives teachers, pupils and parents a clear view of progress over time, so everyone knows who is on track and where support is still needed
More engaged pupils
Pupils know what to revisit so they keep up with their learning and remain engaged
Clear and actionable data
Brings attendance and curriculum data together so staff can see where support is needed
Easy progress tracking
Simple dashboards show how pupils are progressing across classes and key groups
Everyone aligned
Teachers, leaders, pupils and parents have one clear, shared view of attendance, learning and progress
We’re inviting UK secondary schools to pilot Noticed and provide feedback from March 2026.
Contact our team to learn more or express your interest.