Absence by pupil characteristics - autumn and spring terms combined
Latest data
Published
Last updated
Absence information by pupil characteristics including special education need (SEN), free school meal (FSM) eligibility, language, year group, sex and ethnicity.
On this page
Data set details
- Theme
- Pupils and schools
- Publication
- Pupil absence in schools in England
- Release type
- Number of rows
- 309,774
- Geographic levels
- Local authority, National, Regional
- Indicators
- Authorised absence rate
- Authorised absence rate for persistent absentees
- Number of authorised absence sessions
- Number of authorised absence sessions for persistent absentees
- 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 absence sessions for persistent absentees
- Number of overall reasons sessions
- Number of persistent absentees (10% missed)
- Number of pupil enrolments
- Number of regulated performance sessions
- Number of religious observance sessions
- Number of sessions possible
- Number of sessions possible for persistent absentees
- 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% missed)
- Number of study leave sessions
- Number of temporary reduced timetable sessions
- Number of traveller sessions
- Number of unauthorised absence sessions
- Number of unauthorised absence sessions for persistent absentees
- Number of unauthorised holiday sessions
- Number of unauthorised other sessions
- Number of unauthorised reasons sessions
- Overall absence rate
- Overall absence rate for persistent absentees
- Percentage of persistent absentees (10% missed)
- Percentage of severe absentees (50% missed)
- Rate of sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances
- Unauthorised absence rate
- Unauthorised absence rate for persistent absentees
- Filters
- Characteristic
- School type
- Time period
- 2016/17 Autumn and spring term to 2025/26 Autumn and spring term
Data set preview
| time_period | time_identifier | geographic_level | country_code | country_name | region_code | region_name | old_la_code | new_la_code | la_name | education_phase | characteristic | characteristic_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 | 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_x_covid_rate | sess_q_la_arrangements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 201617 | Autumn and spring term | Local authority | E92000001 | England | E12000001 | North East | 390 | E08000037 | Gateshead | Special | FSM | FSM eligible | 196.0 | 49140.0 | 5093.0 | 3467.0 | 1626.0 | 10.364265364265364 | 7.0553520553520555 | 3.308913308913309 | 58.0 | 29.591836734693878 | 14978.0 | 3756.0 | 2288.0 | 1468.0 | 25.076779276271864 | 15.27573774869809 | 9.801041527573776 | x | x | 2529.0 | 359.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 90 | z | 69.0 | z | z | z | 420.0 | 3467.0 | 42.0 | 30.0 | 1499.0 | 55.0 | 1626.0 | 5093.0 | 0 | 0 | z | z |
| 201617 | Autumn and spring term | Local authority | E92000001 | England | E12000001 | North East | 390 | E08000037 | Gateshead | Special | FSM | FSM not eligible | 290.0 | 73616.0 | 4309.0 | 3618.0 | 691.0 | 5.853347098456857 | 4.914692458161269 | 0.938654640295588 | 51.0 | 17.586206896551722 | 12914.0 | 2385.0 | 1852.0 | 533.0 | 18.468328945330647 | 14.341025243921326 | 4.127303701409323 | x | x | 2522.0 | 508.0 | 30.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 133 | z | 60.0 | z | z | z | 363.0 | 3618.0 | 201.0 | 36.0 | 433.0 | 21.0 | 691.0 | 4309.0 | 0 | 0 | z | z |
| 201617 | Autumn and spring term | Local authority | E92000001 | England | E12000001 | North East | 390 | E08000037 | Gateshead | Special | First language | First language known or believed to be English | 461.0 | 116394.0 | 9018.0 | 6739.0 | 2279.0 | 7.747822052683127 | 5.78981734453666 | 1.9580047081464682 | 104.0 | 22.559652928416483 | 26576.0 | 5931.0 | 3960.0 | 1971.0 | 22.31712823600241 | 14.90066225165563 | 7.416465984346779 | x | x | 4816.0 | 814.0 | 22.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 208 | z | 126.0 | z | z | z | 751.0 | 6739.0 | 238.0 | 41.0 | 1926.0 | 74.0 | 2279.0 | 9018.0 | 0 | 0 | z | z |
| 201617 | Autumn and spring term | Local authority | E92000001 | England | E12000001 | North East | 390 | E08000037 | Gateshead | Special | First language | First language known or believed to be other than English | 25.0 | 6362.0 | 384.0 | 346.0 | 38.0 | 6.035837786859479 | 5.4385413392015085 | 0.5972964476579692 | 5.0 | 20.0 | 1316.0 | 210.0 | 180.0 | 30.0 | 15.957446808510639 | 13.677811550151976 | 2.2796352583586628 | x | x | 235.0 | 53.0 | 8.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 15 | z | 3.0 | z | z | z | 32.0 | 346.0 | 5.0 | 25.0 | 6.0 | 2.0 | 38.0 | 384.0 | 0 | 0 | z | z |
| 201617 | Autumn and spring term | Local authority | E92000001 | England | E12000001 | North East | 390 | E08000037 | Gateshead | Special | Major ethnic groups | Any other ethnic group | 8.0 | 2012.0 | 86.0 | 83.0 | 3.0 | 4.274353876739562 | 4.1252485089463224 | 0.14910536779324055 | 1.0 | 12.5 | 256.0 | 44.0 | 41.0 | 3.0 | 17.1875 | 16.015625 | 1.171875 | x | x | 37.0 | 27.0 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | z | 3.0 | z | z | z | 12.0 | 83.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 86.0 | 0 | 0 | z | z |
Variables in this data set
| Variable name | Variable description |
|---|---|
| characteristic_breakdown | 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 (10% missed) |
| enrolments_pa_10_exact_percent | Percentage of persistent absentees (10% missed) |
| enrolments_pa_50_exact | Number of severe absentees (50% missed) |
| enrolments_pa_50_exact_percent | Percentage of severe absentees (50% missed) |
| sess_auth_appointments | Number of medical appointments sessions |
| sess_auth_excluded | Number of excluded sessions |
| sess_auth_ext_holiday | Number of extended authorised holiday sessions |
| sess_auth_holiday | Number of authorised holiday sessions |
| sess_auth_illness | Number of illness sessions |
| sess_auth_interview | Number of interview sessions |
| sess_auth_other | Number of authorised other sessions |
| sess_auth_reg_performance | Number of regulated performance sessions |
| sess_auth_religious | Number of religious observance sessions |
| sess_auth_study | Number of study leave sessions |
| sess_auth_temp_reduced_timetable | Number of temporary reduced timetable sessions |
| sess_auth_totalreasons | Number of authorised reasons sessions |
| sess_auth_traveller | Number of traveller sessions |
| sess_authorised | Number of authorised absence sessions |
| sess_authorised_pa_10_exact | Number of authorised absence sessions for persistent absentees |
| sess_authorised_percent | Authorised absence rate |
| sess_authorised_percent_pa_10_exact | Authorised absence rate for persistent absentees |
| sess_overall | Number of overall absence sessions |
| sess_overall_pa_10_exact | Number of overall absence sessions for persistent absentees |
| sess_overall_percent | Overall absence rate |
| sess_overall_percent_pa_10_exact | Overall absence rate for persistent absentees |
| sess_overall_totalreasons | Number of overall reasons sessions |
| sess_possible | Number of sessions possible |
| sess_possible_pa_10_exact | Number of sessions possible for persistent absentees |
| 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_late | Number of late sessions |
| sess_unauth_noyet | Number of no reason yet sessions |
| sess_unauth_other | Number of unauthorised other sessions |
| sess_unauth_totalreasons | Number of unauthorised reasons sessions |
| sess_unauthorised | Number of unauthorised absence sessions |
| sess_unauthorised_pa_10_exact | Number of unauthorised absence sessions for persistent absentees |
| sess_unauthorised_percent | Unauthorised absence rate |
| sess_unauthorised_percent_pa_10_exact | Unauthorised absence rate for persistent absentees |
| 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 |
Footnotes
- Total includes state-funded primary, secondary and special schools. Data for special schools is available from 2016/17 to present.
- 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.
- EHC plans – A pupil has an EHC plan when a formal assessment has been made. A document is in place that sets out the child’s need and the extra help they should receive. EHC plans were introduced in September 2014 replacing Statements of SEN, with these being phased out by April 2018. This category therefore includes Statements of SEN for the years up to 2018.
- SEN support - From 2015, the School Action and School Action Plus categories were combined to form one category of SEN support. Extra or different help is given from that provided as part of the school’s usual curriculum. The class teacher and special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) may receive advice or support from outside specialists. The pupil does not have an Education, Health and Care plan.
- From 2023/24 the school census data item ‘sex’ replaced ‘gender’. Historical use of the word “gender” in the data collection may have meant that “gender identity” was reported in some cases, as opposed to legal sex. While this is unlikely to have a significant effect on overall figures, it may affect figures in more granular subdivisions. This category is presented as a single time-series but prior to spring 2023 any data was reported as 'gender'.
- Caution is recommended when interpreting the data for Traveller of Irish Heritage and Gypsy/Roma children due to small population sizes.
Using this data
Download the underlying data as a compressed ZIP file
View or create your own tables
View tables that we have built for you, or create your own tables from open data using our table tool
Download this data using code
Access this data using common programming languages using the URL below.
Example code
Contact us
If you have a specific enquiry about Absence by pupil characteristics - autumn and spring terms combined statistics and data:
Attendance and exclusions statistics team
Email: schools.statistics@education.gov.ukContact name: Attendance and exclusions statistics team