Data set from Pupil absence in schools in England

Absence by pupil characteristics - autumn and spring terms combined

Latest data

Published 17 October 2024

Last updated 17 October 2024

Absence information by pupil characteristics including SEN provision, 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 2023/24
• Geographic levels: Local authority, National, Regional
• Indicators:
  • Authorised absence rate
  • Authorised absence rate exact
  • Number of authorised absence sessions
• Filters:
  • Characteristic
  • School type
• Time period: 2016/17 Autumn and spring term to 2023/24 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	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_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
202324	Autumn and spring term	Local authority	E92000001	England	E12000003	Yorkshire and The Humber	381	E08000033	Calderdale	Special	First Language	First language known or believed to English	391	88257	7294	6508	786	8.2645	7.37392	0.89058	111	28.38875	23387	4584	4078	506	19.60063	17.43704	2.1636	5	1.27877	3939	598	0	0	0	70	z	12	877	5496	332	133	109	0	574	6070	z	640	z
202324	Autumn and spring term	Local authority	E92000001	England	E12000003	Yorkshire and The Humber	381	E08000033	Calderdale	Total	First Language	First language unclassified	46	10285	955	644	311	9.28537	6.26155	3.02382	14	30.43478	2764	673	401	272	24.34877	14.50796	9.84081	4	8.69565	412	34	2	0	0	0	z	73	123	644	29	7	274	1	311	955	z	38	z
202324	Autumn and spring term	Local authority	E92000001	England	E12000003	Yorkshire and The Humber	382	E08000034	Kirklees	State-funded primary	First Language	First language known or believed to English	23825	5586598	286981	218555	68426	5.13695	3.91213	1.22482	3198	13.42288	706078	124515	84888	39627	17.63474	12.02247	5.61227	171	0.71773	182806	14374	87	1	15	2631	z	2455	16186	218555	27340	8500	31710	876	68426	286981	z	6562	z
202324	Autumn and spring term	Local authority	E92000001	England	E12000003	Yorkshire and The Humber	383	E08000035	Leeds	Special	First Language	First language known or believed to be other than English	237	57013	8054	5819	2235	14.1266	10.20644	3.92016	94	39.66245	21665	6659	4651	2008	30.73621	21.46781	9.26841	18	7.59494	3766	804	18	0	0	60	z	8	1163	5819	515	262	1423	35	2235	8054	z	480	z
202324	Autumn and spring term	Local authority	E92000001	England	E12000003	Yorkshire and The Humber	383	E08000035	Leeds	State-funded secondary	First Language	First language known or believed to English	40149	9670077	940598	450111	490487	9.72689	4.65468	5.07221	10343	25.76154	2359606	695945	268332	427613	29.49412	11.3719	18.12222	2133	5.31271	308337	25728	376	1404	33	1143	z	41094	71996	450111	34647	27544	423485	4811	490487	940598	z	23953	z

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Variables in this data set

Table showing first 5 of 40 variables

Variable name	Variable description
characteristic_breakdown	Characteristic - Filter by characteristic
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% 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.
3. 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. Time-series in this publication prior to spring 2023 which contained gender as a category may be affected.
4. 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.
5. 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.

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