Data set from Pupil absence in schools in England

Absence rates by geographic level - autumn and spring terms combined

Latest data

Published 23 October 2025

Last updated 23 October 2025

Absence information for all enrolments in state-funded primary, state-funded 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 2024/25
• Number of rows: 6,282
• Geographic levels: Local authority, National, Regional
• Indicators:
  • Overall absence rate
  • Authorised absence rate
  • Number of authorised absence sessions
• Filters:
  • School type
• Time period: 2016/17 Autumn and spring term to 2024/25 Autumn and 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	num_schools	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
202425	Autumn and spring term	National	E92000001	England						Total	21243	7341054	1847633764	122493201	83753035	38740166	6.62973	4.53299	2.09674	1293978	17.6266	165757	2.25795	62535657	5841602	1255826	41625	131940	z	z	2683536	218424	70144	3985308	6988977	83753039	7088421	4005553	27029610	616682	38740266	122493305	z	7844413	70467	3.38463	0.31617	0.06797	0.00225	0.00714	z	z	0.14524	0.01182	0.0038	0.2157	0.37827	4.53299	0.38365	0.21679	1.46293	0.03338	2.09675	6.62974	z
202425	Autumn and spring term	National	E92000001	England						State-funded primary	16725	3865079	978515379	50480490	37519242	12961248	5.15889	3.8343	1.32458	514601	13.31411	35424	0.91651	29770158	2470521	682131	3781	106804	z	z	287955	86956	30028	1179290	2901622	37519246	4603345	1552750	6547030	258183	12961308	50480554	z	2329466	17093	3.04238	0.25248	0.06971	0.00039	0.01091	z	z	0.02943	0.00889	0.00307	0.12052	0.29653	3.8343	0.47044	0.15868	0.66908	0.02639	1.32459	5.15889	z
202425	Autumn and spring term	National	E92000001	England						State-funded secondary	3418	3329072	832253767	67305269	42700647	24604622	8.08711	5.13072	2.95638	727650	21.85744	120550	3.62113	30770311	3009428	553909	37291	22706	z	z	2333161	128510	36910	2321188	3487233	42700647	2364983	2350653	19553685	335341	24604662	67305309	z	5113103	39108	3.69723	0.3616	0.06656	0.00448	0.00273	z	z	0.28034	0.01544	0.00443	0.2789	0.41901	5.13072	0.28417	0.28244	2.34949	0.04029	2.95639	8.08711	z
202425	Autumn and spring term	National	E92000001	England						Special	1100	146903	36864618	4707442	3533146	1174296	12.76954	9.58411	3.18543	51727	35.21167	9783	6.6595	1995188	361653	19786	553	2430	z	z	62420	2958	3206	484830	600122	3533146	120093	102150	928895	23158	1174296	4707442	z	401844	14266	5.4122	0.98103	0.05367	0.0015	0.00659	z	z	0.16932	0.00802	0.0087	1.31516	1.62791	9.58411	0.32577	0.27709	2.51975	0.06282	3.18543	12.76954	z
202425	Autumn and spring term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000008	South East				Total	3295	1181984	295175221	19724493	14378990	5345503	6.6823	4.87134	1.81096	205314	17.37029	27360	2.31475	10715595	973179	116628	13252	21627	z	z	355384	47619	13919	883971	1237816	14378990	960244	607938	3698504	78817	5345503	19724493	z	691959	17318	3.63025	0.3297	0.03951	0.00449	0.00733	z	z	0.1204	0.01613	0.00472	0.29947	0.41935	4.87134	0.32531	0.20596	1.25299	0.0267	1.81096	6.6823	z

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Variables in this data set

Table showing first 5 of 56 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 missed)
enrolments_pa_10_exact_percent	Percentage of persistent absentees (10% or more missed)
enrolments_pa_50_exact	Number of severe absentees (50% or more missed)

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Footnotes

1. Total includes state-funded primary, state-funded 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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