Data set from Pupil absence in schools in England

Absence by pupil characteristic - spring term

Latest data

Published 15 October 2026

Last updated 15 October 2026

Absence information by pupil characteristics including special education need (SEN), free school meal (FSM) eligibility, language, year group, sex and ethnicity.

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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: 1,420
• Geographic levels: National
• Indicators:
  • Authorised absence rate
  • Authorised absence rate for persistent absentees
  • Number of authorised absence sessions
• Filters:
  • Characteristic
  • School type
• Time period: 2020/21 Spring 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	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_q_la_arrangements	sess_x_covid_rate
202526	Spring term	National	E92000001	England	Total	First language	First language known or believed to be English	5528935	596804536	41841285	27991466	13849819	7.01089	4.69022	2.32066	1056739	19.11289	110939734	28191481	16607489	11583992	25.41153	14.96983	10.4417	146133	2.64306	19968895	2130404	488107	10494	43449	z	z	971146	78968	23812	2018210	2257993	27991478	1457450	1564453	10663250	164693	13849846	41841324	z	3164192	19830	z
202526	Spring term	National	E92000001	England	Total	First language	First language known or believed to be other than English	1513822	161202655	9387763	6377367	3010396	5.82358	3.95612	1.86746	256433	16.93944	26415501	5291929	3037004	2254925	20.03342	11.49705	8.53637	17086	1.12867	4280277	455135	835612	2051	688	z	z	128656	23425	2840	143856	504827	6377367	813167	289492	1860686	47051	3010396	9387763	z	769198	2619	z
202526	Spring term	National	E92000001	England	Total	First language	First language unclassified	28189	2980682	242402	145316	97086	8.13243	4.87526	3.25717	6448	22.87417	654341	173554	89835	83719	26.52348	13.72908	12.7944	1006	3.56877	95899	9977	7567	53	226	z	z	8343	482	253	9709	12807	145316	8557	10130	77335	1064	97086	242402	z	19600	85	z
202526	Spring term	National	E92000001	England	Total	FSM	FSM eligible	1996793	213243433	22797088	13094297	9702791	10.69064	6.14054	4.5501	626988	31.39975	65484049	17610507	9070213	8540294	26.89282	13.85103	13.04179	94458	4.73049	8573528	936493	536401	3028	14686	z	z	700776	26384	5133	1151795	1146073	13094297	606848	1109691	7884009	102245	9702793	22797090	z	1371257	12176	z
202526	Spring term	National	E92000001	England	Total	FSM	FSM not eligible	5064447	547443661	28592418	21385541	7206877	5.2229	3.90644	1.31646	686540	13.55607	72334152	15968005	10632235	5335770	22.07533	14.69878	7.37656	67165	1.32621	15754681	1657653	793691	9569	29555	z	z	403958	76314	21764	1016368	1622000	21385553	1671058	751777	4674446	109621	7206902	28592455	z	2579646	10288	z

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Variables in this data set

Table showing first 5 of 44 variables

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)

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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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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'.
6. Caution is recommended when interpreting the data for Traveller of Irish Heritage and Gypsy/Roma children due to small population sizes.

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Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Absence by pupil characteristic - spring term 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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