Data set from Pupil absence in schools in England

Absence by characteristics (FSM) and local authority district

Latest data

Published 26 March 2026

Last updated 21 May 2026

Absence information by local authority district. Includes FSM eligible and FSM6 eligible breakdowns.

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Data set details

• Theme: Pupils and schools
• Publication: Pupil absence in schools in England
• Release: Academic year 2024/25
• Number of rows: 49,846
• Geographic levels: Local authority district
• Indicators:
  • Authorised absence rate
  • Authorised absence rate for persistent absentees
  • Number of authorised absence sessions
• Filters:
  • Characteristics group
  • School type
• Time period: 2018/19 to 2024/25

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Data set preview

Table showing first 5 rows, from underlying data

time_period	time_identifier	geographic_level	country_code	country_name	region_code	region_name	old_la_code	new_la_code	la_name	lad_code	lad_name	education_phase	breakdown_topic	breakdown	enrolments	sess_possible	sess_overall	sess_authorised	sess_unauthorised	sess_overall_percent	sess_authorised_percent	sess_unauthorised_percent	enrolments_pa_10_exact	enrolments_pa_10_exact_percent	sess_possible_pa_10_exact	sess_overall_pa_10_exact	sess_authorised_pa_10_exact	sess_unauthorised_pa_10_exact	sess_overall_percent_pa_10_exact	sess_authorised_percent_pa_10_exact	sess_unauthorised_percent_pa_10_exact	sess_auth_illness	sess_auth_appointments	sess_auth_religious	sess_auth_study	sess_auth_traveller	sess_auth_holiday	sess_auth_excluded	sess_auth_interview	sess_auth_reg_performance	sess_auth_temp_reduced_timetable	sess_auth_other	sess_auth_totalreasons	sess_unauth_holiday	sess_unauth_late	sess_unauth_other	sess_unauth_noyet	sess_unauth_totalreasons	sess_overall_totalreasons	sess_x_covid	sess_y_exceptional	sess_x_covid_rate	sess_q_la_arrangements
202425	Academic year	Local authority district	E92000001	England	E12000007	London	201	E09000001	City of London	E09000001	City of London	Total	Total	Total	184	67648	2762	2180	582	4.082899716	3.22256386	0.860335856	11	5.97826087	4024	537	373	164	13.34493042	9.269383698	4.07554672	1625	176	176	0	0	z	30	54	0	0	119	2180	236	66	266	14	582	2762	z	0	z	0
202425	Academic year	Local authority district	E92000001	England	E12000007	London	201	E09000001	City of London	E09000001	City of London	Total	FSM ever 6	FSM unclassified in last 6 years	1	20	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	z	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	z	0	z	0
202425	Academic year	Local authority district	E92000001	England	E12000007	London	201	E09000001	City of London	E09000001	City of London	Total	FSM ever 6	FSM not eligible in last 6 years	135	49924	1974	1544	430	3.954010095	3.092700905	0.86130919	9	6.666666667	3264	460	303	157	14.09313725	9.283088235	4.81004902	1147	135	112	0	0	z	0	43	0	0	107	1544	210	26	183	11	430	1974	z	0	z	0
202425	Academic year	Local authority district	E92000001	England	E12000007	London	201	E09000001	City of London	E09000001	City of London	Total	FSM ever 6	FSM eligible in last 6 years	48	17704	788	636	152	4.450971532	3.592408495	0.858563037	2	4.166666667	760	77	70	7	10.13157895	9.210526316	0.921052632	478	41	64	0	0	z	30	11	0	0	12	636	26	40	83	3	152	788	z	0	z	0
202425	Academic year	Local authority district	E92000001	England	E12000007	London	201	E09000001	City of London	E09000001	City of London	Total	FSM	FSM unclassified	1	26	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	z	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	z	0	z	0

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Variables in this data set

Table showing first 5 of 41 variables

Variable name	Variable description
breakdown_topic	Characteristics group
education_phase	School type - Filter by school type
enrolments	Number of pupil enrolments
enrolments_pa_10_exact	Number of persistent absentees (10% or more missed)
enrolments_pa_10_exact_percent	Percentage of persistent absentees (10% or more missed)

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Footnotes

1. Total includes state-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools.
2. Sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances are included as possible sessions in 2020/21 and 2021/22 only, but not as an absence within absence rates.

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Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Absence by characteristics (FSM) and local authority district statistics and data:

Attendance and exclusions statistics team

Email: schools.statistics@education.gov.uk
Contact name: Attendance and exclusions statistics team

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