Academic year 2021/22

Pupil absence in schools in England

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• Published: 16 March 2023
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This release looks at pupil absence across the 2021/22 academic year, including by reason and school types.

Data is given on pupil absences as well as where a pupil was recorded as not attending in circumstances relating to coronavirus (Code X). Where a pupil was not attending in these circumstances, schools were expected to provide immediate access to remote education. During 2021/22, this category should mostly have been used to record where a pupil was absent from school with symptoms of COVID-19 whilst awaiting the results of a test. This differs to previous years when this code was also used where pupils were advised to shield, were quarantining after returning from abroad, were in class bubbles advised to isolate and where pupils were not expected to attend in person during periods of national restrictions (during which, schools were expected to provide remote education). Throughout the pandemic, schools were advised to record pupils with a confirmed case of COVID-19 as absent due to illness (Code I).

School level data was collected via the Department's education settings survey on pupil attendance throughout the pandemic. However, this release is derived from the pupil level school census from which further analysis, such as persistent absence, can be produced. The categories of absence in this release match those used on school registers and differ to those used in the education settings survey.

Experimental official statistics produced from daily data submitted automatically by schools to the Department are available in the Pupil attendance in schools publication. Due to the timeliness of the data and that they are based on a subset of schools, the figures are estimates that we expect to change as registers are adjusted. They should be viewed as an early indicator for the data provided in later national statistics releases.

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Headline facts and figures - 2021/22

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Additional context relating to coronavirus (COVID-19)

In 2020/21 and 2021/22, data was collected on the number of sessions recorded as not attending in circumstances related to coronavirus (COVID-19). This has not been counted as an absence, but has been included as a possible session in the calculation of absence rates. This has included where pupils were self-isolating and shielding, including when a class or bubble has been required to stay at home. During these sessions, pupils were expected to not attend or were prohibited from attending and so they are treated separately and not counted within the standard absence rates within this publication.

In 2021/22, this category should mostly have been used to record where a pupil was absent from school with symptoms of COVID-19 whilst awaiting the results of a test. From April 2022, in line with our transition to living with COVID-19, schools were no longer advised to record pupils who did not attend for reasons related to COVID-19 using a separate code (Code X). This was in line with the fact that pupils with symptoms of COVID-19 were no longer advised to get a test, and most of the scenarios that this category was brought into to record no longer applied. Instead, where a pupil did not attend because they have symptoms of COVID-19 or had a positive test, schools were advised to record this using Code I (illness) unless another more appropriate code applied.

These figures do not include absence due to positive COVID cases. Where a pupil was not attending in these circumstances, schools were expected to provide immediate access to remote education. 

When a pupil has initially self-isolated pending a coronavirus test result, the school should have recorded the pupil as not attending in circumstances related to coronavirus. If the pupil subsequently tested positive the school should have recorded the pupil as being absent due to illness and they would be included as an absence.

Not attending due to circumstances related to coronavirus decreased

Further to sessions recorded as absence, the rate of sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances across 2021/22 combined was 1.0%. By term, this was 1.6% in autumn, 1.0% in the spring term and 0.1% in the summer term. The rate of sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances in the 2020/21 academic year was 21.3%

More than half (55%) of enrolments had zero sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances during 2021/22, while less than 1% had ten percent or more sessions recorded under this category.

The decrease from the previous year reflects that public health guidance in the 2020/21 academic year included both stricter rules around isolation such as class bubbles, and a period of national restrictions where attendance was prioritised for vulnerable and key worker children during which all other pupils would be recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances. For 2021/22, up to April, this category would mostly have been used to record where a pupil was absent from school with symptoms of COVID-19 whilst awaiting the results of a test or isolating as close contacts.  From April 2022, in line with our transition to living with COVID-19, schools were no longer advised to record pupils who did not attend for reasons related to COVID-19 using a separate code (Code X). These figures do not include absence due to positive COVID cases. 

Further information

This publication looks further at absence rates in 2021/22. Further data on attendance during the 2021/22 academic year is published in the ‘Attendance in education and early years settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak’ statistics release. 

Full guidance on recording attendance in relation to coronavirus (COVID-19) during the 2021/22 academic year is available online at Addendum: recording attendance in relation to coronavirus (COVID-19) during the 2021 to 2022 academic year - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey, published by ONS, gives information about infection rates, includes those amongst the primary and secondary school age groups.

Absence rates

The absence rate is the total number of sessions missed due to absence for all pupils as a percentage of the total number of possible sessions for all pupils. One session is equal to half a day. 

Not attending in circumstances related to coronavirus (COVID-19) 

From 2020/21, not attending in circumstances related to coronavirus (COVID-19) has not been counted as an absence, but has been included as a possible session in the calculation of absence rates. This has included where pupils were self-isolating and shielding, including when a class or bubble has been required to stay at home. During these sessions, pupils were expected to not attend or were prohibited from attending and so they are treated separately and not counted within the standard absence rates within this publication.

In 2021/22, this category should mostly have been used to record where a pupil was absent from school with symptoms of COVID-19 whilst awaiting the results of a test. From April 2022, in line with our transition to living with COVID-19, schools were no longer advised to record pupils who did not attend for reasons related to COVID-19 using Code X. This was in line with the fact that pupils with symptoms of COVID-19 were no longer advised to get a test, and most of the scenarios that this category was brought into to record no longer applied. Instead, where a pupil did not attend because they have symptoms of COVID-19 or had a positive test, schools were advised to record this using Code I (illness) unless another more appropriate code applied.

Overall absence increased, driven by an increase in illness absence (including positive COVID cases)

The overall absence rate in 2021/22 was 7.6%. This is higher than previous years where absence was typically around 4-5%. The increase is mostly driven by a large increase in illness absence, which includes absence for positive coronavirus cases that may have required isolation up to ten days. The illness absence rate increase from 2.1% in 2020/21 to 4.4% in 2021/22. UK Health Security Agency data shows large increases in weekly COVID-19 case rates for children of school age over this period when compared to the previous year. 

An increase is also seen in unauthorised absence which increased from 1.3% in 2020/21 to 2.1% in 2021/22. This was driven by unauthorised other reasons (from 1.0% to 1.4%) and unauthorised holidays (from 0.1% to 0.4%).

Further to sessions recorded as absence, the rate of sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances across 2021/22 combined was 1.0%, down from 21.3% in the previous year. Schools were no longer advised to use this code from April 2022.

Absence increased in primary and secondary, but decreased in special schools

• Primary - increase from 3.6% to 6.3% in 2021/22
• Secondary - increase from 5.5% to 9.0%
• Special - decrease from 15.2% to 13.2%

For each school type, the change was driven by changes in the illness absence rate. 

The decrease in the absence rate in special schools reflects the fact that, in 2020/21, during the restrictions on school attendance, vulnerable pupils were prioritised to continue attending school. Where a parent wanted their child to be absent, schools were advised to grant a leave of absence meaning that absence rates for this group of pupils were higher. 

Absence increased through the school year

Absence rates increased from 6.9% in Autumn term 2021/22, to 7.9% in Spring term and then 8.0% in Summer term. The increase in Summer was driven by an increase in absence in secondary schools, while primary and special school absence rates decreased from Spring to Summer.

While the authorised absence rate was higher than previous years, driven by increases in illness absence, there was an increase in unauthorised absence from 1.9% in Spring term to 2.9% in Summer term, in part driven by an increase in unauthorised holidays from 0.2% to 0.6%. An increase has typically been seen in unauthorised absence from Spring to Summer in previous years.

Persistent absence

A pupil enrolment is identified as a persistent absentee if they miss 10% or more of their possible sessions. Sessions where a pupil was not attending in circumstances related to coronavirus (COVID-19) (for example, isolating whilst waiting for a test result or as a close contact but not including positive COVID cases) are not counted as an absence but do count towards possible sessions as during these sessions these pupils could not attend school.

1.6m pupils were persistently absent in 2021/22

These figures include absence due to illness (including positive COVID cases).

The persistent absence rate in 2021/22 was 22.5%. This is an increase from around 10-12% in previous years, including pre-pandemic. The spring term 2020/21 was affected by a period of national restrictions where attendance was prioritised for vulnerable and key worker children during which all other pupils would be recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances. As such, caution should be taken with comparisons across years. No data is available for the 2019/20 academic year.

The persistent absence rate for autumn term alone was 23.5%, for spring term 2022 was 27.2% and for summer term was 26.4%.

The increase compared to previous years, is driven by increases in illness absence (including positive COVID cases that may have required isolation up to ten days). In 2021/22, 8.5% of pupils missed 10% or more sessions due to illness absence alone across the academic year. 

Further, 120,000 pupils missed 50% or more sessions in 2021/22 (1.7% of all pupils). This compares to 60,000 pre-pandemic (2018/19).

The rate of persistent absence varies across school types

These figures include absence due to illness (including positive COVID cases).

The rate of persistent absentees missing 10% or more sessions in 2021/22 differs across all school types

• in primary schools - 17.7% 
• in secondary schools - 27.7%
• in special schools - 40.4%

while the rate of pupils missing 50% or more sessions in 2021/22 was

• in primary schools - 0.6% in autumn and spring terms 2021/22
• in secondary schools - 2.7% in autumn and spring terms 2021/22
• in special schools - 5.8% in autumn and spring terms 2021/22

Absence by pupil characteristics

From 2020/21, not attending in circumstances related to coronavirus (COVID-19) has not been counted as an absence, but has been included as a possible session in the calculation of absence rates. This has included where pupils were self-isolating and shielding, including when a class or bubble has been required to stay at home. During these sessions, pupils were expected to not attend or were prohibited from attending and so they are treated separately and not counted within the standard absence rates within this publication. 

For the 2021/22 academic year, this category should mostly have been used to record where a pupil was absent from school with symptoms of COVID-19 whilst awaiting the results of a test. This category does include absence due to positive COVID cases.  

Across all pupils, overall absence increased, driven by an increase in illness absence (including positive COVID cases). This section looks at how that rate varies across different groups of pupils. 

For comparison, the overall absence rate across all pupils was 7.6% and the persistent absence rate was 22.5%. 

Free school meals (FSM) 

The overall absence rate for pupils who are eligible for free school meals was 10.8% in 2021/22, up from 7.8% in the previous year. This compares to 6.5% for those pupils who were not eligible for free school meals. 

37.2% of pupils who were eligible for free school meals were persistently absent in 2021/22, compared to 17.5% of pupils who were not eligible.   

Special educational needs (SEN)  

The overall absence rate for pupils with an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) was 12.1% in 2021/22. This compares to 10.0% for pupils with SEN support and 6.9% with no identified SEN. 

36.9% of pupils with an EHCP were persistently absent in this period, compared to 32.0% for pupils with SEN support and 20.0% for pupils with no identified SEN.

Year groups

Typically absence rates increase as age increases. The highest absence rates were in year 11 at 10.6% and year 10 at 10.1%, compared to 7.6% for all pupils. This is a similar pattern to previous years. 

Persistent absence ranged from 16.6% in year 3, to 32.2% in year 11 in 2021/22.  

As with other groups, these increases from previous years are driven by increases in illness absence, including positive COVID cases.  

Ethnic groups

Traveller of Irish Heritage and Gypsy/Roma pupils had the highest overall absence rates at 22.1% and 17.8% in  2021/22.  Chinese and Black African pupils had the lowest rates at 3.6% and 4.4%. This follows similar trends to previous years. Similar patterns are shown in persistent absence rates. 

Gender

The overall absence rate was slightly higher for girls at 7.6% compared to 7.5% for boys, while persistent absence was 22.8% for girls and 22.2% for boys. This is a reversal from previous years.

Absence in pupil referral units

Absence rates in pupil referral units have increased

These figures include absence due to illness (including positive COVID cases).

The overall absence rate in pupil referral units was 38.8% in 2021/22. This is an increase from 33.7% in 2020/21 (with a larger increase in unauthorised absence) and from 35.3% pre-pandemic (with a larger increase in authorised absence).

80.9% of enrolments missed 10% or more sessions, an increase from 74.5% over the same period in 2020/21, with 34.5% of enrolments missing 50% or more possible sessions.

Geographical variations

Absence rates vary across the country, from 6.6% in Inner London to 8.1% in the North East. This includes absence due to illness (including positive COVID cases).

Persistent absence also varies across regions from 19.6% in Outer London to 24.7% in the North East. This includes absence due to illness (including positive COVID cases).

The amount of sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances varies from 0.8% in the North East and Outer London to 1.1% in the South East and East of England.

The map below displays absence rates by local authority.

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Methodology

Find out how and why we collect, process and publish these statistics.

• Pupil absence statistics: methodology

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