Data set from Pupil absence in schools in England

Absence by geographic level - termly

Latest data

Published 15 October 2026

Last updated 15 October 2026

Termly absence information for all enrolments in state-funded primary, secondary and special schools including information on overall absence, persistent absence and reason for absence for pupils aged 5-15.

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Data set details

• Theme: Pupils and schools
• Publication: Pupil absence in schools in England
• Release: Autumn and spring term 2025/26
• Number of rows: 13,523
• Geographic levels: Local authority, National, Regional
• Indicators:
  • Authorised absence rate
  • Authorised holiday rate
  • Authorised other rate
  • Authorised reasons rate
  • Excluded rate
  • Extended authorised holiday rate
  • Illness rate
  • Interview rate
  • Late rate
  • Medical appointments rate
  • No reason yet rate
  • Number of authorised absence sessions
  • Number of authorised holiday sessions
  • Number of authorised other sessions
  • Number of authorised reasons sessions
  • Number of excluded sessions
  • Number of extended authorised holiday sessions
  • Number of illness sessions
  • Number of interview sessions
  • Number of late sessions
  • Number of medical appointments sessions
  • Number of no reason yet sessions
  • Number of overall absence sessions
  • Number of overall reasons sessions
  • Number of persistent absentees (10% or more sessions missed)
  • Number of pupil enrolments
  • Number of regulated performance sessions
  • Number of religious observance sessions
  • Number of sessions possible
  • Number of sessions recorded as exceptional circumstances
  • Number of sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances
  • Number of sessions recorded as unable to attend because of access arrangements
  • Number of severe absentees (50% or more sessions missed)
  • Number of study leave sessions
  • Number of temporary reduced timetable sessions
  • Number of traveller sessions
  • Number of unauthorised absence sessions
  • Number of unauthorised holiday sessions
  • Number of unauthorised other sessions
  • Number of unauthorised reasons sessions
  • Overall absence rate
  • Overall reasons rate
  • Percentage of persistent absentees (10% or more sessions missed)
  • Percentage of severe absentees (50% or more sessions missed)
  • Rate of sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances
  • Regulated performance rate
  • Religious observance rate
  • Study leave rate
  • Temporary reduced timetable rate
  • Traveller rate
  • Unauthorised absence rate
  • Unauthorised holiday rate
  • Unauthorised other rate
  • Unauthorised reasons rate
• Filters:
  • School type
• Time period: 2018/19 Autumn term to 2025/26 Spring term

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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	education_phase	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	enrolments_pa_50_exact	enrolments_pa_50_exact_percent	sess_auth_illness	sess_auth_appointments	sess_auth_religious	sess_auth_study	sess_auth_traveller	sess_auth_holiday	sess_auth_ext_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_q_la_arrangements	sess_auth_illness_rate	sess_auth_appointments_rate	sess_auth_religious_rate	sess_auth_study_rate	sess_auth_traveller_rate	sess_auth_holiday_rate	sess_auth_ext_holiday_rate	sess_auth_excluded_rate	sess_auth_interview_rate	sess_auth_reg_performance_rate	sess_auth_temp_reduced_timetable_rate	sess_auth_other_rate	sess_auth_totalreasons_rate	sess_unauth_holiday_rate	sess_unauth_late_rate	sess_unauth_other_rate	sess_unauth_noyet_rate	sess_unauth_totalreasons_rate	sess_overall_totalreasons_rate	sess_x_covid_rate
202526	Autumn term	National	E92000001	England						Total	7145605	989466780	64019479	43789774	20229705	6.4701	4.42559	2.04451	1293073	18.09606	151279	2.11709	33340851	3096300	115481	16135	74235	z	z	1255463	110894	47537	2177108	3555778	43789782	4454312	1975323	13524221	275850	20229706	64019488	z	2864372	26643	3.36958	0.31293	0.01167	0.00163	0.0075	z	z	0.12688	0.01121	0.0048	0.22003	0.35936	4.42559	0.45017	0.19964	1.36682	0.02788	2.04451	6.4701	z
202526	Autumn term	National	E92000001	England						State-funded primary	3723145	521508922	26693364	19424243	7269121	5.11849	3.72462	1.39386	535682	14.38789	38092	1.02311	15336257	1335178	67732	1780	60281	z	z	173050	65164	18759	785167	1580883	19424251	2844151	823994	3456518	144459	7269122	26693373	z	429014	4605	2.94075	0.25602	0.01299	0.00034	0.01156	z	z	0.03318	0.0125	0.0036	0.15056	0.30314	3.72462	0.54537	0.158	0.66279	0.0277	1.39386	5.11849	z
202526	Autumn term	National	E92000001	England						State-funded secondary	3271301	446967132	34654178	22400439	12253739	7.75318	5.01165	2.74153	704351	21.53122	103284	3.15728	16896782	1555718	45906	14282	12778	z	z	1046851	44632	28027	1099041	1656422	22400439	1520508	1087198	9528798	117235	12253739	34654178	z	2270150	14168	3.78032	0.34806	0.01027	0.0032	0.00286	z	z	0.23421	0.00999	0.00627	0.24589	0.37059	5.01165	0.34018	0.24324	2.13188	0.02623	2.74153	7.75318	z
202526	Autumn term	National	E92000001	England						Special	151159	20990726	2671937	1965092	706845	12.72913	9.36172	3.36742	53040	35.08888	9903	6.55138	1107812	205404	1843	73	1176	z	z	35562	1098	751	292900	318473	1965092	89653	64131	538905	14156	706845	2671937	z	165208	7870	5.27763	0.97855	0.00878	0.00035	0.0056	z	z	0.16942	0.00523	0.00358	1.39538	1.51721	9.36172	0.42711	0.30552	2.56735	0.06744	3.36742	12.72913	z
202526	Spring term	National	E92000001	England						Total	7070946	760987873	51471450	34514149	16957301	6.76377	4.53544	2.22833	1319620	18.66257	164225	2.32253	24345071	2595516	1331286	12598	44363	z	z	1108145	102875	26905	2171775	2775627	34514161	2279174	1864075	12601271	212808	16957328	51471489	z	3952990	22534	3.19914	0.34107	0.17494	0.00166	0.00583	z	z	0.14562	0.01352	0.00354	0.28539	0.36474	4.53544	0.2995	0.24495	1.65591	0.02796	2.22833	6.76377	z

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Variables in this data set

Table showing all 55 variables

Variable name	Variable description
education_phase	School type - Filter by school type - Total includes primary, secondary and special
enrolments	Number of pupil enrolments
enrolments_pa_10_exact	Number of persistent absentees (10% or more sessions missed)
enrolments_pa_10_exact_percent	Percentage of persistent absentees (10% or more sessions missed)
enrolments_pa_50_exact	Number of severe absentees (50% or more sessions missed)
enrolments_pa_50_exact_percent	Percentage of severe absentees (50% or more sessions missed)
sess_auth_appointments	Number of medical appointments sessions
sess_auth_appointments_rate	Medical appointments rate
sess_auth_excluded	Number of excluded sessions
sess_auth_excluded_rate	Excluded rate
sess_auth_ext_holiday	Number of extended authorised holiday sessions
sess_auth_ext_holiday_rate	Extended authorised holiday rate
sess_auth_holiday	Number of authorised holiday sessions
sess_auth_holiday_rate	Authorised holiday rate
sess_auth_illness	Number of illness sessions
sess_auth_illness_rate	Illness rate
sess_auth_interview	Number of interview sessions
sess_auth_interview_rate	Interview rate
sess_auth_other	Number of authorised other sessions
sess_auth_other_rate	Authorised other rate
sess_auth_reg_performance	Number of regulated performance sessions
sess_auth_reg_performance_rate	Regulated performance rate
sess_auth_religious	Number of religious observance sessions
sess_auth_religious_rate	Religious observance rate
sess_auth_study	Number of study leave sessions
sess_auth_study_rate	Study leave rate
sess_auth_temp_reduced_timetable	Number of temporary reduced timetable sessions
sess_auth_temp_reduced_timetable_rate	Temporary reduced timetable rate
sess_auth_totalreasons	Number of authorised reasons sessions
sess_auth_totalreasons_rate	Authorised reasons rate
sess_auth_traveller	Number of traveller sessions
sess_auth_traveller_rate	Traveller rate
sess_authorised	Number of authorised absence sessions
sess_authorised_percent	Authorised absence rate
sess_overall	Number of overall absence sessions
sess_overall_percent	Overall absence rate
sess_overall_totalreasons	Number of overall reasons sessions
sess_overall_totalreasons_rate	Overall reasons rate
sess_possible	Number of sessions possible
sess_q_la_arrangements	Number of sessions recorded as unable to attend because of access arrangements
sess_unauth_holiday	Number of unauthorised holiday sessions
sess_unauth_holiday_rate	Unauthorised holiday rate
sess_unauth_late	Number of late sessions
sess_unauth_late_rate	Late rate
sess_unauth_noyet	Number of no reason yet sessions
sess_unauth_noyet_rate	No reason yet rate
sess_unauth_other	Number of unauthorised other sessions
sess_unauth_other_rate	Unauthorised other rate
sess_unauth_totalreasons	Number of unauthorised reasons sessions
sess_unauth_totalreasons_rate	Unauthorised reasons rate
sess_unauthorised	Number of unauthorised absence sessions
sess_unauthorised_percent	Unauthorised absence rate
sess_x_covid	Number of sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances
sess_x_covid_rate	Rate of sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances
sess_y_exceptional	Number of sessions recorded as exceptional circumstances

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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. Comparisons with these years should be treated with caution.

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import pandas as pd

pd.read_csv("https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/2d7f16c7-1abf-4329-ab42-184b9b0059a0/csv")

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read.csv("https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/2d7f16c7-1abf-4329-ab42-184b9b0059a0/csv")

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Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Absence by geographic level - termly 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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