Autumn and spring term 2024/25

Pupil absence in schools in England

Pupil absence, including overall, authorised and unauthorised absence and persistent absence by reason and pupil characteristics for the full academic year.

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12 data sets available for download

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  • Absence rates by geographic level - autumn and spring terms combined

    Local authority, National, Regional

    Absence information for all enrolments in state-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools including information on overall absence, persistent absence and reason for absence for pupils aged 5-15.

    Number of rows
    6,282
    Indicators
    • Overall absence rate
    • Authorised absence rate
    • Number of authorised absence sessions
    Filters
    • School type
    Time period
    2016/17 Autumn and spring term to 2024/25 Autumn and spring term
    Data set information page for Absence rates by geographic level - autumn and spring terms combined
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  • Absence rates school level - autumn and spring terms combined

    School

    School level absence information for all enrolments in state-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools including information on overall absence, persistent absence and reason for absence for pupils aged 5-15.

    Number of rows
    169,794
    Indicators
    • Overall absence rate
    • Authorised absence rate
    • Number of authorised absence sessions
    Filters
    • School type
    Time period
    2016/17 Autumn and spring term to 2024/25 Autumn and spring term
    Data set information page for Absence rates school level - autumn and spring terms combined
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  • Absence by geographic level - termly

    Local authority, National, Regional

    Termly absence information for all enrolments in state-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools including information on overall absence, persistent absence and reason for absence for pupils aged 5-15.

    Number of rows
    11,582
    Indicators
    • Overall absence rate
    • Authorised absence rate
    • Number of authorised absence sessions
    Filters
    • School type
    Time period
    2018/19 Autumn term to 2024/25 Spring term
    Data set information page for Absence by geographic level - termly
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  • Absence by pupil characteristics - autumn and spring terms combined

    Local authority, National, Regional

    Absence information by pupil characteristics including special education need (SEN), free school meal (FSM) eligibility, language, year group, sex and ethnicity.

    Number of rows
    267,430
    Indicators
    • Overall absence rate
    • Authorised absence rate
    • Number of authorised absence sessions
    Filters
    • Characteristic
    • School type
    Time period
    2016/17 Autumn and spring term to 2024/25 Autumn and spring term
    Data set information page for Absence by pupil characteristics - autumn and spring terms combined
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  • Absence by pupil ethnicity and FSM eligibility - autumn and spring terms combined

    National

    Absence information by both pupil ethnicity and free school meal (FSM) eligibility.

    Number of rows
    160
    Indicators
    • Number of overall absence sessions
    • Number of overall absence sessions for persistent absentees (10% or more missed)
    • Number of persistent absentees (10% or more missed)
    Filters
    • FSM eligibility
    • Minor ethnic groups
    Time period
    2023/24 Autumn and spring term to 2024/25 Autumn and spring term
    Data set information page for Absence by pupil ethnicity and FSM eligibility - autumn and spring terms combined
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  • Absence rates by pupil characteristic - spring term

    National

    Absence information by pupil characteristics including special education need (SEN), free school meal (FSM) eligibility, language, year group, sex and ethnicity.

    Number of rows
    1,149
    Indicators
    • Overall absence rate
    • Authorised absence rate
    • Number of authorised absence sessions
    Filters
    • Characteristic
    • School type
    Time period
    2020/21 Spring term to 2024/25 Spring term
    Data set information page for Absence rates by pupil characteristic - spring term
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  • Absence as a percentage of possible sessions by band

    National

    The number of pupil enrolments by overall, authorised and unauthorised absence percentage point bands.

    Number of rows
    3,264
    Indicators
    • Number of all pupil enrolments that fall into that per cent band for overall absence
    • Number of all pupil enrolments that fall into that per cent band for authorised absence
    • Number of all pupil enrolments that fall into that per cent band for illness absence
    Filters
    • Absence percentage band
    • School type
    Time period
    2016/17 Autumn and spring term to 2024/25 Autumn and spring term
    Data set information page for Absence as a percentage of possible sessions by band
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  • Absence rates in state-funded alternative provision - autumn and spring terms combined

    Local authority, National, Regional

    Absence information for all enrolments in state-funded alternative provision (including pupil referral units) with information on overall absence, persistent absence and reason for absence for pupils aged 5-15.

    Number of rows
    1,667
    Indicators
    • Overall absence rate
    • Authorised absence rate
    • Number of authorised absence sessions
    Time period
    2013/14 Autumn and spring term to 2024/25 Autumn and spring term
    Data set information page for Absence rates in state-funded alternative provision - autumn and spring terms combined
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  • Enrolments with one or more sessions of absence - autumn and spring terms combined

    Local authority, National, Regional

    The number of enrolments with one or more session of absence, including by reason for absence.

    Number of rows
    5,148
    Indicators
    • Number of enrolments with at least one authorised absence session
    • Number of enrolments with at least one overall absence session
    • Number of enrolments with at least one unauthorised absence session
    Filters
    • School type
    Time period
    2016/17 Autumn and spring term to 2024/25 Autumn and spring term
    Data set information page for Enrolments with one or more sessions of absence - autumn and spring terms combined
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  • Enrolments with one or more sessions of absence, school level - autumn and spring terms combined

    School

    The number of enrolments with one or more session of absence, including by reason for absence, at school level.

    Number of rows
    169,794
    Indicators
    • Number of enrolments with at least one absence session due to agreed family holiday
    • Number of enrolments with at least one absence session due to arriving late
    • Number of enrolments with at least one absence session due to exceptional circumstances
    Filters
    • School type
    Time period
    2016/17 Autumn and spring term to 2024/25 Autumn and spring term
    Data set information page for Enrolments with one or more sessions of absence, school level - autumn and spring terms combined
    Create table using Enrolments with one or more sessions of absence, school level - autumn and spring terms combined

  • Absence for four year olds - autumn and spring terms combined

    Local authority, National, Regional

    Overall absence for all enrolments in state-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools for pupils aged 4.

    Number of rows
    4,613
    Indicators
    • Overall absence rate
    • Number of overall absence sessions
    • Number of pupil enrolments
    Filters
    • School type
    Time period
    2016/17 Autumn and spring term to 2024/25 Autumn and spring term
    Data set information page for Absence for four year olds - autumn and spring terms combined
    Create table using Absence for four year olds - autumn and spring terms combined

  • Absence for four year olds, school level - autumn and spring terms combined

    School

    School level overall absence for all enrolments in state-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools for pupils aged 4.

    Number of rows
    131,439
    Indicators
    • Overall absence rate
    • Number of overall absence sessions
    • Number of pupil enrolments
    Filters
    • School type
    Time period
    2016/17 Autumn and spring term to 2024/25 Autumn and spring term
    Data set information page for Absence for four year olds, school level - autumn and spring terms combined
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Data guidance

Description of the data sets included in this release, including information on data sources, coverage, quality and any data conventions used.

Description

This document describes the data included in the ‘Pupil absence in schools in England’ accredited official statistics release’s underlying data files. The methodology should be referenced alongside this data. It provides information on the data sources, their coverage and quality as well as explaining methodology used in producing the data.

Coverage

This release provides information on the levels of overall, authorised and unauthorised absence in:

  • state-funded primary schools
  • state-funded secondary schools
  • special schools

It includes:

  • reasons for absence
  • absence by pupil characteristic
  • rates of persistent and severe absence
  • separate absence information for state-funded alternative provision (including pupil referral units, alternative provision academies and free schools)

The information is based on pupil level absence data collected via the school census.

File formats and conventions

Rounding and Suppression

This dataset has not had suppression applied. Rates are presented to two decimal places in the release but greater precision is included in the underlying data files

Conventions

The following convention is used throughout the underlying data. 

‘x’  Not available.

‘z’  Not applicable

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Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Pupil absence in schools in England statistics and data:

Attendance and exclusions statistics team

Email: schools.statistics@education.gov.uk
Contact name: Attendance and exclusions statistics team

Press office

If you have a media enquiry:

Telephone: 020 7783 8300

Public enquiries

If you have a general enquiry about the Department for Education (DfE) or education:

Phone: 0370 000 2288

Opening times

Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 5.30pm (closed on bank holidays)

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