Data set from Pupil absence in schools in England

Absence by characteristics (FSM) and local authority district

Latest data

Published 20 March 2025

Last updated 7 April 2025

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 2023/24
• Geographic levels: Local authority district
• Indicators:
  • Authorised absence rate
  • Authorised absence rate exact
  • Number of authorised absence sessions
• Filters:
  • Characteristic
  • School type
• Time period: 2018/19 to 2023/24

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Data set preview

Table showing first 5 rows, from underlying data

time_identifier	year_breakdown	time_period	geographic_level	country_code	country_name	region_code	region_name	la_code	lad_code	lad_name	education_phase	characteristic_group	characteristic	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_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
Academic year	Six half terms	202324	Local authority district	E92000001	England	E12000007	London	201	E09000001	City of London	Total	FSM ever 6	FSM not eligible in last 6 years	131	48498	2108	1626	482	4.34657	3.35272	0.99386	12	9.16031	4416	528	393	135	11.95652	8.89946	3.05707	1349	101	3	0	0	94	0	79	1626	316	0	159	7	482	2108	z	0	z
Academic year	Six half terms	202324	Local authority district	E92000001	England	E12000007	London	201	E09000001	City of London	Total	FSM ever 6	FSM unclassified in last 6 years	1	144	3	3	0	2.08333	2.08333	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	z	0	z
Academic year	Six half terms	202324	Local authority district	E92000001	England	E12000007	London	201	E09000001	City of London	Total	FSM	FSM unclassified	1	38	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	z	0	z
Academic year	Six half terms	202324	Local authority district	E92000001	England	E12000007	London	201	E09000001	City of London	Total	FSM ever 6	FSM eligible in last 6 years	46	16718	700	565	135	4.1871	3.37959	0.80751	3	6.52174	1140	125	93	32	10.96491	8.15789	2.80702	510	28	0	0	0	16	2	9	565	89	0	44	2	135	700	z	0	z
Academic year	Six half terms	202324	Local authority district	E92000001	England	E12000007	London	201	E09000001	City of London	Total	FSM	FSM eligible	43	15722	671	536	135	4.2679	3.40924	0.85867	3	6.97674	1140	125	93	32	10.96491	8.15789	2.80702	486	25	0	0	0	16	2	7	536	89	0	44	2	135	671	z	0	z

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Variables in this data set

Table showing first 5 of 37 variables

Variable name	Variable description
characteristic	Characteristic - Filter by pupil characteristic
education_phase	School type - Filter by school type
enrolments	Number of pupil enrolments
enrolments_pa_10_exact	Number of persistent absentees
enrolments_pa_10_exact_percent	Percentage of persistent absentees

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Footnotes

1. Total includes state-funded primary, secondary and special schools. Data for special schools is available from 2016/17 to present.
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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