Data set from Pupil absence in schools in England

Absence by geographic level - autumn and spring terms combined

Latest data

Published 15 October 2026

Last updated 15 October 2026

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: 6,929
• 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 missed)
  • Number of pupil enrolments
  • Number of regulated performance sessions
  • Number of religious observance sessions
  • Number of schools
  • 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 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 missed)
  • Percentage of severe absentees (50% or more 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: 2016/17 Autumn and spring term to 2025/26 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
202526	Autumn and spring term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000001	North East				Total	1097	331727	83566748	5929700	3680812	2248888	7.09576	4.40464	2.69113	62873	18.95324	8695	2.62113	2714571	271508	36613	181	9521	z	z	185721	3030	2760	193953	262954	3680812	389302	167725	1668657	23204	2248888	5929700	z	168604	621	3.24839	0.3249	0.04381	0.00022	0.01139	z	z	0.22224	0.00363	0.0033	0.23209	0.31466	4.40464	0.46586	0.20071	1.9968	0.02777	2.69113	7.09576	z
202526	Autumn and spring term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000002	North West				Total	3081	999412	245883134	16460013	10586705	5873308	6.69424	4.30558	2.38866	178958	17.90633	23080	2.30936	7931615	794512	176650	2506	17558	z	z	329044	15572	9888	486981	822387	10586713	1165952	637599	3999405	70367	5873323	16460036	z	682130	4364	3.22577	0.32313	0.07184	0.00102	0.00714	z	z	0.13382	0.00633	0.00402	0.19805	0.33446	4.30559	0.47419	0.25931	1.62655	0.02862	2.38866	6.69425	z
202526	Autumn and spring term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000003	Yorkshire and The Humber				Total	2174	730249	177409261	12361268	7532868	4828400	6.96766	4.24604	2.72162	137125	18.77784	20286	2.77796	5470115	534891	136770	1076	11780	z	z	345166	12253	5409	464122	551286	7532868	892929	417644	3475120	42707	4828400	12361268	z	607585	5746	3.08333	0.3015	0.07709	0.00061	0.00664	z	z	0.19456	0.00691	0.00305	0.26161	0.31074	4.24604	0.50332	0.23541	1.95882	0.02407	2.72162	6.96766	z
202526	Autumn and spring term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000004	East Midlands				Total	2028	635186	153394227	9952174	6797021	3155153	6.48797	4.43108	2.05689	108063	17.01281	14899	2.34561	5004384	487478	92072	407	13839	z	z	226709	12923	4435	416039	538735	6797021	576458	305921	2226952	45822	3155153	9952174	z	706195	3466	3.26243	0.31779	0.06002	0.00027	0.00902	z	z	0.1478	0.00842	0.00289	0.27122	0.35121	4.43108	0.3758	0.19943	1.45178	0.02987	2.05689	6.48797	z
202526	Autumn and spring term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000005	West Midlands				Total	2331	827953	197228755	13029125	8736140	4292985	6.6061	4.42945	2.17665	150210	18.14233	19376	2.34023	6566448	572016	223515	1315	9860	z	z	266639	17385	4278	378857	695839	8736152	767356	464590	3016847	44202	4292995	13029147	z	2140438	4379	3.32936	0.29003	0.11333	0.00067	0.005	z	z	0.13519	0.00881	0.00217	0.19209	0.35281	4.42945	0.38907	0.23556	1.52962	0.02241	2.17666	6.60611	z

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Variables in this data set

Table showing all 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)
enrolments_pa_50_exact_percent	Percentage of severe absentees (50% or more missed)
num_schools	Number of schools
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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Python

import pandas as pd

pd.read_csv("https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/b452323a-9c6c-4d24-929e-200b5a368116/csv")

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read.csv("https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/b452323a-9c6c-4d24-929e-200b5a368116/csv")

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Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Absence by geographic level - autumn and spring terms combined 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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