Data set from Pupil absence in schools in England

Absence rates by pupil characteristic - autumn and spring term combined

Not the latest data

Published 19 October 2023

Last updated 19 October 2023

Absence information by characteristics for all enrolments in state-funded primary, secondary and special schools including information on overall absence, persistent absence and reason for absence for pupils aged 5-15. Characteristics included are gender, year group, free school meal eligibility, SEN provision, SEN type of need, ethnicity and language.

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Data set details

• Theme: Pupils and schools
• Publication: Pupil absence in schools in England
• Release: Autumn and spring term 2022/23
• Number of rows: 194,384
• Geographic levels: Local authority, National, Regional
• Indicators:
  • Authorised absence rate
  • Authorised absence rate exact
  • Number of authorised absence sessions
  • Number of authorised absence sessions for persistent absentees
  • Number of authorised holiday sessions
  • Number of authorised other sessions
  • Number of authorised reasons sessions
  • Number of excluded sessions
  • Number of extended authorised holiday sessions
  • Number of illness sessions
  • Number of late sessions
  • Number of medical appointments sessions
  • Number of no reason yet sessions
  • Number of overall absence sessions
  • Number of overall absence sessions for persistent absentees
  • Number of overall reasons sessions
  • Number of persistent absentees - 10% or more sessions missed
  • Number of pupil enrolments
  • Number of religious observance sessions
  • Number of sessions possible
  • Number of sessions possible for persistent absentees
  • Number of sessions recorded as exceptional circumstances
  • Number of sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances
  • Number of study leave sessions
  • Number of traveller sessions
  • Number of unauthorised absence sessions
  • Number of unauthorised absence sessions for persistent absentees
  • Number of unauthorised holiday sessions
  • Number of unauthorised other sessions
  • Number of unauthorised reasons sessions
  • Overall absence rate
  • Overall absence rate exact
  • Percentage of persistent absentees - 10% or more sessions missed
  • Unauthorised absence rate
  • Unauthorised absence rate exact
• Filters:
  • Characteristic
  • School type
• Time period: 2016/17 Autumn and spring term to 2022/23 Autumn and spring term

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Data set preview

Table showing first 5 rows, from underlying data

time_period	time_identifier	geographic_level	country_code	country_name	region_code	region_name	old_la_code	new_la_code	la_name	school_type	characteristic	enrolments	sess_possible	sess_overall	sess_authorised	sess_unauthorised	sess_overall_percent	sess_authorised_percent	sess_unauthorised_percent	enrolments_pa_10_exact	enrolments_pa_10_exact_percent	sess_possible_pa_10_exact	sess_overall_pa_10_exact	sess_authorised_pa_10_exact	sess_unauthorised_pa_10_exact	sess_overall_percent_pa_10_exact	sess_authorised_percent_pa_10_exact	sess_unauthorised_percent_pa_10_exact	sess_auth_illness	sess_auth_appointments	sess_auth_religious	sess_auth_study	sess_auth_traveller	sess_auth_holiday	sess_auth_ext_holiday	sess_auth_excluded	sess_auth_other	sess_auth_totalreasons	sess_unauth_holiday	sess_unauth_late	sess_unauth_other	sess_unauth_noyet	sess_unauth_totalreasons	sess_overall_totalreasons	sess_x_covid	sess_y_exceptional
201617	Autumn and spring term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000001	North East				State-funded secondary	Year 6	3252	832709	32611	26613	5998	3.91625	3.19595	0.7203	252	7.74908	61842	9934	7342	2592	16.06352	11.87219	4.19133	21867	1954	123	1	142	485	z	235	1806	26613	3010	168	2572	248	5998	32611	0	0
201718	Autumn and spring term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000001	North East				State-funded secondary	Ethnicity Major - Unclassified	1111	211598	16580	10678	5902	7.83561	5.04636	2.78925	249	22.41224	43424	10934	6083	4851	25.17962	14.00838	11.17124	6510	762	35	0	0	92	z	1957	1138	10494	517	59	5006	295	5877	16371	0	0
201718	Autumn and spring term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000001	North East				State-funded secondary	Ethnicity Minor - Any other Asian background	1059	245971	8460	5931	2529	3.43943	2.41126	1.02817	75	7.08215	16411	2755	1501	1254	16.78752	9.1463	7.64122	4302	487	40	2	0	255	z	200	593	5879	1160	15	1204	148	2527	8406	0	0
201718	Autumn and spring term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000001	North East				State-funded secondary	Ethnicity Minor - Any other ethnic group	1115	258115	10664	6664	4000	4.13149	2.58179	1.5497	111	9.95516	22643	4255	2035	2220	18.79168	8.98733	9.80435	4974	538	43	0	3	153	z	340	589	6640	1211	41	2515	231	3998	10638	0	0
201718	Autumn and spring term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000001	North East				State-funded secondary	Ethnicity Minor - Any other Mixed background	1075	251150	12190	8551	3639	4.85367	3.40474	1.44893	136	12.65116	29418	5307	3046	2261	18.03998	10.3542	7.68577	6531	652	10	0	1	177	z	551	577	8499	1098	67	2255	217	3637	12136	0	0

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Variables in this data set

Table showing all 37 variables

Variable name	Variable description
characteristic	Characteristic - Filter by characteristic
enrolments	Number of pupil enrolments
enrolments_pa_10_exact	Number of persistent absentees - 10% or more sessions missed
enrolments_pa_10_exact_percent	Percentage of persistent absentees - 10% or more sessions missed
school_type	School type - Filter by school type - Total includes primary, secondary and special
sess_auth_appointments	Number of medical appointments sessions
sess_auth_excluded	Number of excluded sessions
sess_auth_ext_holiday	Number of extended authorised holiday sessions
sess_auth_holiday	Number of authorised holiday sessions
sess_auth_illness	Number of illness sessions
sess_auth_other	Number of authorised other sessions
sess_auth_religious	Number of religious observance sessions
sess_auth_study	Number of study leave sessions
sess_auth_totalreasons	Number of authorised reasons sessions
sess_auth_traveller	Number of traveller sessions
sess_authorised	Number of authorised absence sessions
sess_authorised_pa_10_exact	Number of authorised absence sessions for persistent absentees
sess_authorised_percent	Authorised absence rate
sess_authorised_percent_pa_10_exact	Authorised absence rate exact
sess_overall	Number of overall absence sessions
sess_overall_pa_10_exact	Number of overall absence sessions for persistent absentees
sess_overall_percent	Overall absence rate
sess_overall_percent_pa_10_exact	Overall absence rate exact
sess_overall_totalreasons	Number of overall reasons sessions
sess_possible	Number of sessions possible
sess_possible_pa_10_exact	Number of sessions possible for persistent absentees
sess_unauth_holiday	Number of unauthorised holiday sessions
sess_unauth_late	Number of late sessions
sess_unauth_noyet	Number of no reason yet sessions
sess_unauth_other	Number of unauthorised other sessions
sess_unauth_totalreasons	Number of unauthorised reasons sessions
sess_unauthorised	Number of unauthorised absence sessions
sess_unauthorised_pa_10_exact	Number of unauthorised absence sessions for persistent absentees
sess_unauthorised_percent	Unauthorised absence rate
sess_unauthorised_percent_pa_10_exact	Unauthorised absence rate exact
sess_x_covid	Number of sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances
sess_y_exceptional	Number of sessions recorded as exceptional circumstances

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Footnotes

1. Sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances are included as possible sessions in 2020/21 and 2021/22 only, but not as an absence within absence rates.

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read.csv("https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/1ca05f56-1c01-4183-9fa3-e63834c2f084/csv")

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Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Absence rates by pupil characteristic - autumn and spring term combined statistics and data:

Attendance and exclusions statistics team

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

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