Data set from Pupil absence in schools in England

Absence rates in state funded alternative provision - autumn term

Not the latest data

Published 7 August 2025

Last updated 7 August 2025

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.

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Data set details

• Theme: Pupils and schools
• Publication: Pupil absence in schools in England
• Release: Autumn term 2024/25
• Number of rows: 1,815
• Geographic levels: Local authority, National, Regional
• Indicators:
  • 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 interview sessions
  • Number of late sessions
  • Number of medical appointments sessions
  • Number of no reason yet sessions
  • Number of overall reasons sessions
  • Number of regulated performance sessions
  • Number of religious observance sessions
  • Number of study leave sessions
  • Number of temporary reduced timetable sessions
  • Number of traveller sessions
  • Number of unauthorised holiday sessions
  • Number of unauthorised other sessions
  • Number of unauthorised reasons sessions
  • Overall absence rate
  • Authorised absence rate
  • Unauthorised absence rate
  • Percentage of persistent absentees (10% or more missed)
  • Percentage of severe absentees (50% or more missed)
  • Number of pupil enrolments
  • Number of sessions possible
  • Number of overall absence sessions
  • Number of authorised absence sessions
  • Number of unauthorised absence sessions
  • Number of persistent absentees (10% or more missed)
  • Number of severe absentees (50% or more missed)
  • Number of schools
  • Number of sessions recorded as exceptional circumstances
  • Number of sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances
  • Number of sessions recorded as unable to attend because of access arrangements
• Time period: 2013/14 Autumn term to 2024/25 Autumn 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	education_phase	num_schools	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	enrolments_pa_50_exact	enrolments_pa_50_exact_percent	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_interview	sess_auth_reg_performance	sess_auth_temp_reduced_timetable	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	sess_q_la_arrangements
202425	Autumn term	National	E92000001	England						State-funded alternative provision	327	30039	3095106	1267167	706961	560206	40.941	22.8413	18.0997	24309	80.92479776	11588	38.57651719	189615	23905	130	245	216	z	z	47673	1408	267	277218	166284	706961	18369	39451	493762	8624	560206	1267167	z	71181	11315
202425	Autumn term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000003	Yorkshire and The Humber				State-funded alternative provision	34	3025	350450	119498	53388	66110	34.0984	15.2341	18.8643	2223	73.48760331	900	29.75206612	16584	2764	0	1	0	z	z	2940	135	31	20699	10234	53388	2503	2424	56140	5043	66110	119498	z	5850	666
202425	Autumn term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000007	London				State-funded alternative provision	53	4496	422264	158547	77472	81075	37.5469	18.3468	19.2001	3426	76.20106762	1443	32.09519573	24359	3646	60	97	32	z	z	4794	269	110	16217	27888	77472	2244	10294	67462	1075	81075	158547	z	20475	114
202425	Autumn term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000009	South West				State-funded alternative provision	34	3298	331417	155131	116907	38224	46.8084	35.2749	11.5335	2779	84.26318981	1527	46.30078836	23623	2602	5	1	66	z	z	4911	74	32	66739	18854	116907	1484	1647	34769	324	38224	155131	z	4393	3299
202425	Autumn term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000002	North West				State-funded alternative provision	48	4872	533861	229784	115039	114745	43.0419	21.5485	21.4934	4135	84.8727422	2049	42.05665025	32890	4113	35	2	62	z	z	10425	286	24	40967	26235	115039	3813	7332	103371	229	114745	229784	z	5369	711

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Variables in this data set

Table showing all 35 variables

Variable name	Variable description
enrolments	Number of pupil enrolments
enrolments_pa_10_exact	Number of persistent absentees (10% or more missed)
enrolments_pa_10_exact_percent	Percentage of persistent absentees (10% or more missed)
enrolments_pa_50_exact	Number of severe absentees (50% or more missed)
enrolments_pa_50_exact_percent	Percentage of severe absentees (50% or more missed)
num_schools	Number of schools
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_interview	Number of interview sessions
sess_auth_other	Number of authorised other sessions
sess_auth_reg_performance	Number of regulated performance sessions
sess_auth_religious	Number of religious observance sessions
sess_auth_study	Number of study leave sessions
sess_auth_temp_reduced_timetable	Number of temporary reduced timetable 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_percent	Authorised absence rate
sess_overall	Number of overall absence sessions
sess_overall_percent	Overall absence rate
sess_overall_totalreasons	Number of overall reasons sessions
sess_possible	Number of sessions possible
sess_q_la_arrangements	Number of sessions recorded as unable to attend because of access arrangements
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_percent	Unauthorised absence rate
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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Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Absence rates in state funded alternative provision - autumn term 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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