Record number of pupils in England ‘severely absent’ from school – figures

The number of pupils in England absent for long periods of time reached a record high last year, Government figures suggest.

Department for Education (DfE) data indicates that 2.3% of pupils were “severely absent”, which means they missed at least 50% of possible school sessions, in 2023/24, compared with 2.0% in 2022/23.

Overall, 171,269 pupils were classed as severely absent last academic year, up from 150,256 in 2022/23.

It is the highest number recorded since the current DfE data began in 2006/07.

In 2018/19, the last academic year before the Covid-19 pandemic, 60,247 were classed as severely absent.

A school leaders’ union warned last week that some families see school as “optional” since the pandemic.

The latest DfE data, published on Thursday, suggests that the number of unauthorised pupil absences from schools in England increased last year.

The unauthorised absence rate rose from 2.4% in 2022/23 to 2.5% in 2023/24, according to the figures. In 2018/19, the rate was only 1.4%.

Last week, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson called on school and college leaders to “catch up fast” to improve pupil attendance, as she said that some schools were “not making enough progress” on absences.

Overall, the absence rate decreased from 7.4% in 2022/23 to 7.1% in 2023/24, but it remains higher than pre-pandemic rates of 4.7%, the data suggests.

One in five (20.0%) of pupils in England, about 1.49 million young people, were “persistently absent” during the 2023/24 school year, which means they missed 10% or more school sessions.

This is down on 2022/23 when 21.2% of pupils were persistently absent, but it is still above the rate in 2018/19 (10.9%).

The former Conservative government announced plans to hike fines for pupil absences in February last year, to boost attendance since the pandemic.

In September, school absence fines in England rose from £60 to £80, and a parent who receives a second fine for the same child within a three-year period will now receive a £160 fine.

The latest DfE attendance data covers the last academic year before fines for unauthorised absences were increased.

Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “It is clear that there are still far too many children missing out on significant portions of their education.

“Although there are signs of improvement in some areas, the rates of persistent and severe absence remain a real concern.”

He added: “We need to accept that schools cannot solve this issue on their own and must set out clear expectations and plans for parents, government, schools and other agencies to work together in the best interests of young people.

“This must be backed with funding to ensure there is sufficient capacity in the system for all children to get any additional support they require to be able to attend school on a regular basis.

“Without investing in a strategic response to this issue, it is difficult to see how attendance rates are going to change at the scale required.”

In a speech in Liverpool on Saturday, Mr Di’Iasio said school had become “optional” for some families since the pandemic and he added that the “blunt instrument” of fines for unauthorised absences was not reversing the trend.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “These figures make it clear that the current approach to solving absence just isn’t working.

“Simply increasing the pressure on schools, without providing any additional resource for them to tackle the issue, is fruitless.

“The only way to actually make progress is to look at the causes of absence – from parental attitude changes, holiday pricing, and children and young people’s experiences of mental health and poverty.

“Unless we begin to improve those things, absence will continue.”

Beth Prescott, education lead at the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), said: “Five years on from the pandemic, the school absence crisis continues to rip the futures away from our children with record levels of so-called “Ghost Children”, one in four kids persistently absent, and nearly half of those doing GCSEs skipping school.

“The Secretary of State for Education is right to prioritise this crisis and the need to rebuild the partnership between home, school and the Government.

“We urgently need to get parents on board and support schools through the national rollout of attendance mentors.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “The government inherited a broken system, with children and families facing poor outcomes and barriers to opportunity. The case for tackling the epidemic of school absence could not be clearer: improved grades, higher wages, better life chances.

“Tackling this issue is everyone’s responsibility – government, schools, parents, and children – and we need a national effort to get our kids back in the classroom. We have made some encouraging progress this academic year, but more must be done and this month we have brought together ministers and over 2,000 school leaders up and down the country to share best practice to drive up attendance.

“As part of our plan for change, we determined to turn the tide on poor attendance and break down barriers to opportunity – whether it’s through free breakfast clubs, improved mental health support, additional investment in family support, or more focus from Ofsted.”