Department for Education guidance (opens in a new tab) sets out that school attendance is mandatory from the beginning of the autumn term. Pupils with COVID-19 symptoms, or who have someone in their household who does, should not attend school. If someone who has attended school is tested positive for COVID-19, pupils they have been in close contact with will be asked to self-isolate.
Where schools are not fully open, most pupils are still attending. When pupils are unable to attend school because they are complying with clinical or public health advice, schools are expected to be able to immediately offer them access to remote education.
Attendance estimates include pupils absent for both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related reasons. Our analysis suggests attendance estimates for state-funded schools are depressed by up to 1.5 percentage points by the inclusion of children in school-based nurseries, for whom attendance is not mandatory.
All pupils
- Approximately 90% of all children on roll in all state-funded schools were in attendance on 1 October, up from 88% on 24 September.
- We estimate 92% of schools were fully open on 1 October. Attendance was higher in fully open schools - we estimate 92% of all pupils on roll in fully open state-funded schools were in attendance on 1 October, up from 90% on 24 September.
The overall absence rate in state-funded primary, secondary and special schools in England in the 2018/19 academic year was 4.7%. There are some differences in the calculation of this figure and our attendance estimates that affect comparability [3]. These differences all depress our attendance estimates when compared to the 2018/19 absence rate.
The following groups have lower than average attendance and are included in our attendance estimates, but excluded from the 2018/19 absence rate:
- Children in school-based nurseries, for whom attendance is not mandatory and many attend part-time
- Children in state-funded alternative provision, for whom the absence rate is typically much higher than average
- 4 year-olds on roll in state-funded schools, for whom the absence rate is typically slightly higher than average
- 16 to 18 year-olds on roll in state-funded schools, for whom the absence rate is likely to be slightly higher than average
We compared attendance in primary schools with and without nurseries, which suggested excluding children in school-based nurseries could increase our attendance estimate for state-funded schools by up to 1.5 percentage points.
We estimated the combined impact of the differences in the calculation of our attendance estimates and the overall absence rate in the 2018/19 academic year. This used attendance reported via the education settings survey and population sizes of different pupil groups from the Spring 2020 census. We estimate that, if our attendance estimates for state-funded schools were calculated on the same basis as the 2018/19 overall absence rate, these would be between 1 and 2 percentage points higher than reported.
- Attendance has increased in state-funded primary schools, from approximately 91% on 24 September to 93% on 1 October. Attendance in all primary schools without nurseries was approximately 95% on 1 October, which suggests attendance is close to typical levels in primary schools.
- Attendance was higher in fully open primary schools and increased from approximately 92% on 24 September to 94% on 1 October. Attendance in fully open primary schools without nurseries was approximately 96% on 1 October, which suggests attendance is now at typical levels in fully open primary schools.
- Attendance in state-funded secondary schools has increased from approximately 84% on 24 September to 86% on 1 October
- Attendance was higher in fully open secondary schools and increased from 87% on 24 September to 89% on 1 October
[3] 2018/19 overall absence rates include pupils aged 5-15 in state-funded primary, secondary and special schools. Our attendance estimates include pupils of all ages on roll in these schools, including children in school-based nurseries (for whom attendance is not mandatory), 4-year olds in reception, 16-year olds in year 11 and all students in sixth forms. Pupils on roll in alternative provision (who have a higher than average absence rate) are included in our attendance estimates, but excluded from the 2018/19 overall absence rates.
Vulnerable children
Attendance of vulnerable children and young people was prioritised between March 2020 and the end of the summer term, when attendance was limited for other pupils to reduce transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19). While all children are now expected to attend, provision for vulnerable children and their attendance continues to be monitored. Schools are asked to report the number of pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and the number with a social worker on roll and in attendance each day.
Pupils with a social worker are considered ‘children in need’. Our analysis after adjusting for non-response suggests that schools may be under-reporting the number of children with a social worker when compared to the most recently published children in need statistics [4]. Therefore these estimates only account for pupils with a social worker that are identified by schools.
- The attendance of pupils with EHCPs and children in need is typically lower than for other pupils. In the 2018/19 academic year, the overall absence rate was 8.7% for pupils with a statement of SEN or an EHCP and 11.4% for children in need [5]. There are some differences in the calculation of these figures and our estimates that affect comparability [6].
- Approximately 84% of all pupils with an EHCP on roll in all state-funded schools were in attendance on 1 October, up from 81% on 24 September. This figure was 86% in fully open state-funded schools, up from 83% on 24 September.
- Approximately 84% of all pupils with a social worker on roll in all state-funded schools were in attendance on 1 October, up from 82% on 24 September. This figure was 86% in fully open state-funded schools, up from 84% on 24 September.
[4] Statistics: children in need and child protection (opens in a new tab)
[5] Pupil absence in schools statistics and characteristics of children in need statistics (opens in a new tab)
[6] 2018/19 overall absence rates include pupils aged 5-15 in state-funded primary, secondary and special schools. Our attendance estimates include pupils of all ages on roll in these schools, including children in school-based nurseries (for whom attendance is not mandatory), 4-year olds in reception, 16-year olds in year 11 and all students in sixth forms. Pupils on roll in alternative provision (who have a higher than average absence rate) are included in our attendance estimates, but excluded from the 2018/19 overall absence rates.