The overall 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.
During 2020/21 and 2021/22, 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. 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.
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). As a result, no figures are presented for this category for 2022/23.
There has been a small decrease in the overall absence rate compared to the same period in the previous year
The overall absence rate has decreased from 7.4% in autumn and spring 2021/22 to 7.3% in autumn and spring 2022/23 (combining the two terms).
In autumn and spring term 2021/22, a further 1.3% of sessions were recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances, therefore overall attendance in school has increased by 1.4% on the same period.
Before the pandemic, in autumn and spring 2018/19 the overall absence rate was 4.5%.
Further data sources
Data covering the full 2022/23 academic year and the start of the autumn term 2023/24 are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-attendance-in-schools. This shows the latest position on absence for schools included in the data collection.
Overall absence has decreased from autumn 2022/23 to spring 2022/23
The overall absence rate has decreased from 7.5% in autumn term 2022/23 to 7.0% in spring 2022/23. The overall rate in autumn 2022/23 was higher than the previous autumn (6.9%), while the overall rate in spring was lower than the previous spring (7.9%).
Comparing rates from autumn 2022/23 to spring 2022/23, overall absence has
- decreased in primary schools from 6.3% to 5.5%
- decreased in secondary schools from 8.8% to 8.5%
- decreased in special schools from 13.4% to 13.0%
When comparing across previous years, the effect of COVID-19 needs to be considered
For the 2020/21 and 2021/22 academic years, data were collected on pupils not attending in circumstances relating to coronavirus (Code X). In these circumstances, schools were expected to provide immediate access to remote education. From April 2022, schools were advised to no longer use this category. Throughout the pandemic, schools were advised to record pupils with a confirmed case of COVID-19 as absent due to illness (Code I).
In autumn and spring 2020/21, 29.4% of possible sessions were recorded as not attending in circumstances relating to coronavirus, this reduced to 1.3% in autumn and spring 2021/22. The high illness rate in autumn and spring 2021/22 of 4.7% would include pupils with coronavirus. The high level of illness absence in the autumn term 2022/23 was in line with increases in rates of seasonal flu and other seasonal respiratory illnesses, as shown in UK Health Security Authority data (opens in a new tab).
The highest reason for absence was illness
Illness decreased from 4.7% of possible sessions in autumn and spring 2021/22 to 4.1% in autumn and spring 2022/23. Illness includes pupils with confirmed cases of coronavirus. Before the pandemic, in autumn and spring 2018/19 the illness rate was 2.6%.
The unauthorised holiday rate increased from 0.2% of sessions in autumn and spring 2021/22 to 0.4% in autumn and spring 2022/23. During the same period absence recorded in the category unauthorised other increased from 1.3% to 1.6% of possible sessions.
The authorised absence rate has decreased since autumn and spring 2021/22, but the unauthorised rate has increased.
The authorised absence rate has decreased from 5.7% in autumn and spring 2021/22 to 5.1% in autumn and spring 2022/23. The unauthorised rate has increased from 1.7% to 2.2% over the same period. This pattern is seen across all school types.