Data set from Pupil absence in schools in England

Absence in state funded alternative provision - autumn term

Not the latest data

Published 6 August 2026

Last updated 6 August 2026

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.

---

On this page

Data set details

• Theme: Pupils and schools
• Publication: Pupil absence in schools in England
• Release: Autumn term 2025/26
• Number of rows: 1,967
• Geographic levels: Local authority, National, Regional
• Indicators:
  • Authorised absence rate
  • Number of authorised absence sessions
  • 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 absence sessions
  • Number of overall reasons sessions
  • Number of persistent absentees (10% or more missed)
  • Number of pupil enrolments
  • Number of regulated performance sessions
  • Number of religious observance sessions
  • Number of schools
  • Number of sessions possible
  • 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
  • Number of severe absentees (50% or more missed)
  • Number of study leave sessions
  • Number of temporary reduced timetable sessions
  • Number of traveller sessions
  • Number of unauthorised absence sessions
  • Number of unauthorised holiday sessions
  • Number of unauthorised other sessions
  • Number of unauthorised reasons sessions
  • Overall absence rate
  • Percentage of persistent absentees (10% or more missed)
  • Percentage of severe absentees (50% or more missed)
  • Unauthorised absence rate
• Time period: 2013/14 Autumn term to 2025/26 Autumn term

---

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
202526	Autumn term	National	E92000001	England						State-funded alternative provision	328	30323	3150094	1302465	724873	577592	41.3469	23.0112	18.3357	24637	81.2485572008047	11845	39.0627576427135	196396	23534	124	592	112	z	z	47266	951	301	320621	134976	724873	19259	44094	509611	4628	577592	1302465	z	60157	8388
202526	Autumn term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000004	East Midlands				State-funded alternative provision	22	2450	240416	94548	50189	44359	39.3268	20.8759	18.4509	1966	80.2448979591837	948	38.6938775510204	12902	1493	0	94	0	z	z	1718	49	2	26692	7239	50189	1724	2138	40095	402	44359	94548	z	7759	1463
202526	Autumn term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000006	East of England				State-funded alternative provision	32	2599	252053	104528	63857	40671	41.4706	25.3348	16.1359	2110	81.1850711812235	1041	40.0538668718738	13988	1759	14	2	0	z	z	6362	60	168	30411	11093	63857	1558	2379	36523	211	40671	104528	z	3916	612
202526	Autumn term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000003	Yorkshire and The Humber				State-funded alternative provision	34	3160	361202	123173	55093	68080	34.1009	15.2527	18.8482	2325	73.5759493670886	954	30.1898734177215	18135	2595	4	0	4	z	z	3888	62	16	20439	9950	55093	2722	2115	62023	1220	68080	123173	z	5601	1255
202526	Autumn term	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000007	London				State-funded alternative provision	53	4397	405434	158354	77022	81332	39.0579	18.9974	20.0605	3425	77.8940186490789	1499	34.0914259722538	24614	3356	92	339	88	z	z	4518	248	43	22366	21358	77022	1721	11810	66482	1319	81332	158354	z	16499	396

---

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

---

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. Comparisons with these years should be treated with caution.

---

Using this data

• Download the underlying data as a compressed ZIP file

• View or create your own tables

  View tables that we have built for you, or create your own tables from open data using our table tool

Download this data using code

Access this data using common programming languages using the URL below.

Example code

Python

import pandas as pd

pd.read_csv("https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/9e7c2e5f-5131-4308-86f9-6bd49ba1df0e/csv")

R

read.csv("https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/9e7c2e5f-5131-4308-86f9-6bd49ba1df0e/csv")

---

Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Absence 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

---