Autumn term 2022/23

Pupil absence in schools in England

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See all updates (1) for Autumn term 2022/23
  1. Additional section and underlying data added presenting absence rates by pupil characteristics including FSM, SEN, year group, gender, ethnicity and language.

Release type

Introduction

This release looks at pupil absence in Autumn term 2022/23, including by reason and school types, derived from the school census.

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.

During the 2020/21 and 2021/22 academic years, data is given on both pupil absences and 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. From April 2022, schools were advised to no longer use this category and as such no figures are presented in this publication for this category for Autumn 2022/23. 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.

Previous publications relating to the Autumn term are available in the Pupil absence in schools in England: Autumn term publication. From Autumn term 2022/23, pupil absence releases will be available in this single release using the ‘Releases in this series’ option in the right hand pane.


Headline facts and figures - 2022/23

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Overall absence

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. 

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  Autumn 2022/23.

Overall absence increased compared to the previous Autumn term

The overall absence rate in Autumn 2022/23 was 7.5%. This compares to 6.9% in Autumn 2021/22, having been consistently below 5% pre-pandemic. Although the absence rate increased, more pupils were attending school than in the Autumn term 2021/22, when a further 1.6% of sessions were recorded as not attending in circumstances relating to coronavirus. This category was disapplied from April 2022.

The majority of absence was due to illness, which accounted for 4.5% of possible sessions. Illness includes where positive COVID-19 cases were reported. The high level of illness absence in the Autumn term 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).

Other reasons showing notable change include:

  • Unauthorised other  - increased from 1.2% in Autumn 2021/22, to 1.4% in Autumn 2022/23.
  • Unauthorised holiday - increased from 0.3% in Autumn 2021/22, to 0.4% in Autumn 2022/23.

Data covering the Spring and Summer term collected in the daily attendance data project are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-attendance-in-schools. This shows a reduction in absence  over the spring term and shows the latest position on absence for schools included in the data collection.

Both authorised and unauthorised absence increased

Across all reasons, the authorised absence rate increased from 5.3% in Autumn 2021/22 to 5.4% in Autumn term 2022/23, driven by the increases in illness absence (including positive COVID cases), while unauthorised absence increased from 1.6% in Autumn 2021/22 to 2.1% in Autumn term 2022/23, driven by the increase in ‘unauthorised other’ reasons and unauthorised holiday.

Absence increased across all school types

Absence rates follow a similar pattern across school types. Overall absence

  • increased in primary schools from 5.7% in Autumn 2021/22 to 6.3% in Autumn 2022/23
  • increased in secondary schools from 8.2% to 8.8%
  • increased in special schools from 12.8% to 13.4%

The increases seen in authorised and unauthorised absence was also seen across each school type, with the exception of authorised absence in secondary schools, that decreased from 6.1% in Autumn 2021/22 to 6.0% in Autumn 2022/23.

The table below shows termly absence rates since Autumn 2018/19. When looking across terms, overall absence was lower in Autumn 2022/23 than the two prior terms, Spring and Summer terms 2021/22, when overall absence was 7.9% and 8.0%.

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.

The number of persistent absentees has increased from the previous Autumn term

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

Over 1.7 million pupils (24.2% of all pupils) missed 10% of more of their possible sessions in Autumn 2022/23. 10% of sessions translates to around 7 days of absence across the term. 

This compares to 23.5% of pupils in Autumn 2021/22, however during Autumn 2021/22 a further 8.7% of pupils missed 10% or more sessions due to not attending in circumstances relating to coronavirus (excluding positive cases). 

Data covering the Spring and Summer term collected in the daily attendance data project are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-attendance-in-schools. This shows a reduction in absence, including persistent absence over the spring term and shows the latest position on absence for schools included in the data collection.

The persistent absence rate is driven by high levels of illness absence (including positive COVID cases), with 12.4% of pupils missing 10% or more sessions due to illness absence alone. 

Further, 125,000 pupils missed 50% or more sessions in Autumn 2022/23 (1.7% of all pupils). For previous autumn terms, this compares to 98,000 in Autumn 2021/22 and 60,200 in Autumn 2019/20, the final term before the pandemic and compares to 141,000 in Summer 2021/22.

Persistent absence has decreased in secondary, and increased in primary and special

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

The increase in persistent absentees missing 10% or more is seen in both primary and special schools, however a small decrease from the previous Autumn is seen in secondary schools - 

  • in primary schools, increasing from 19.5% in Autumn 2021/22 to 20.9% in Autumn 2022/23
  • in secondary schools, decreasing from 27.7% in Autumn 2021/22 to 27.4% in Autumn 2022/23
  • in special schools, increasing from 39.4% in Autumn 2021/22 to 40.9% in Autumn 2022/23

while the rate of pupils missing 50% or more increased across all school types, secondary schools (2.8% of pupils), special schools (5.8%), and primary schools (0.7%). 

Whilst persistent absence in Autumn 2022 was higher than the previous year, driven by illness, there was a sharp fall in pupils persistently not attending. This reflects that in Autumn 2020 and Autumn 2021, pupils were being recorded as not attending due to reasons related to coronavirus (e.g. where isolating). Including these sessions shows that there has been a drop in pupils not attending 10% or more sessions overall, from 44.6% in 2020, 32.2% in 2021 to 24.2% in 2022.

Absence in pupil referral units

Absence rates in pupil referral units have increased

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

Overall absence increased in pupil referral units, from 35.6% in Autumn 2021/22 to 39.8% in Autumn 2022/23. This is driven by increases in both authorised and unauthorised absence.

80.5% of enrolments missed 10% or more sessions, an increase from 75.7% in Autumn 2021/22, with 36.8% of enrolments missing 50% or more possible sessions, an increase from 31.0%.

Geographical variations

Absence rates vary across region from 7.0% in Outer London to 7.9% in the North East and South West. This includes absence due to illness (including positive COVID cases).

Persistent absence also varies across regions from 23.1% in Outer London to 25.6% in the North East. This includes absence due to illness (including positive COVID cases).

The map below displays absence rates by local authority.

Further absence and attendance data sources

Data by pupil characteristics

Further absence data  by pupil characteristics, including year group, gender, free school meal eligibility, special educational needs and ethnicity is expected to be added in July 2023.

The most recent data covering these topics is included in the full academic year 2021/22 publication, available under ‘Releases in this series’ in the right hand pane.

Pupil attendance in schools (experimental official statistics)

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.

Absence by pupil characteristics

The following looks at absence rates broken down by pupil characteristics. For comparison, the overall absence rate for pupils across all schools was 7.5% in the autumn term 2022/23, while the persistent absence rate was 24.2%.

Free school meals (FSM) 

The overall absence rate for pupils who are eligible for free school meals was 11.0% in autumn 2022, up from 9.7% in autumn 2021. This compares to 6.3% for those pupils who were not eligible for free school meals. 

37.4% of pupils who were eligible for free school meals were persistently absent in autumn 2022, compared to 19.4% 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 12.6% in autumn 2022, up from 11.6% in autumn 20211. This compares to 10.2% for pupils with SEN support and 6.8% with no identified SEN. 

38.2% of pupils with an EHCP were persistently absent in autumn 2022, compared to 33.0% for pupils with SEN support and 21.7% for pupils with no identified SEN. 

Year Groups

Typically absence rates increase as age increases. The highest absence rates were in years 10 and 11 at 10.1%, compared to 7.5% for all pupils. 

Persistent absence ranged from 19.3% in year 3, to 31.0% in year 10 before a small decrease to year 11 at 29.9%.  

These trends are generally consistent with previous years.

Ethnicity

Traveller of Irish Heritage and Gypsy/Roma pupils had the highest overall absence rates at 23.2% and 18.3% in autumn 2022.  Chinese and Black African pupils had the lowest rates at 3.8% and 4.7%. This follows similar trends to previous years. Similar patterns are shown in persistent absence rates. 

Gender

The overall absence rate for girls was slightly lower than boys, at 7.5%, compared to 7.6%. Persistent absence was 23.9% for girls and 24.5% for boys respectively. In autumn 2021/22, this position was reversed with girls having slightly higher persistent absence, however this reflects a change back to patterns seen prior to 2021,

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