Data set from Pupil absence in schools in England

Absence in state-funded alternative provision - school level

Not the latest data

Published 20 March 2025

Last updated 20 March 2025

School level absence information for full academic years 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: Academic year 2023/24
• Number of rows: 3,458
• Geographic levels: School
• 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 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 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 severely absent pupils (50% or more missed)
  • Number of study leave 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 severely absent pupils (50% or more missed)
  • Rate of sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances
  • Unauthorised absence rate
• Time period: 2013/14 to 2023/24

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Data set preview

Table showing first 5 rows, from underlying data

time_period	time_identifier	year_breakdown	geographic_level	country_code	country_name	region_code	region_name	old_la_code	new_la_code	la_name	education_phase	school_name	trust	school_laestab	school_urn	academy_open_date	all_through	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_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_x_covid_rate
202324	Academic year	Six half terms	School	E92000001	England	E12000007	London	202	E09000007	Camden	State funded alternative provision	Heath School		2021100	100006			1	67	15741	5083	1424	3659	32.29147	9.04644	23.24503	51	76.1194	15	22.38806	602	140	10	86	0	36	z	87	463	1424	82	364	3158	55	3659	5083	z	95	z
202324	Academic year	Six half terms	School	E92000001	England	E12000007	London	202	E09000007	Camden	State funded alternative provision	Camden Primary Pupil Referral Unit		2021101	100007			1	23	7043	683	569	114	9.69757	8.07894	1.61863	11	47.82609	1	4.34783	347	61	2	0	0	26	z	0	133	569	36	34	40	4	114	683	z	171	z
202324	Academic year	Six half terms	School	E92000001	England	E12000007	London	202	E09000007	Camden	State funded alternative provision	The ArtsXchange	T4 TRUST	2024001	141164	01/09/2014		1	33	8407	3355	2630	725	39.90722	31.28345	8.62377	29	87.87879	14	42.42424	275	52	0	2	0	24	z	209	2068	2630	5	170	493	57	725	3355	z	42	z
202324	Academic year	Six half terms	School	E92000001	England	E12000007	London	203	E09000011	Greenwich	State funded alternative provision	Newhaven Pupil Referral Unit		2031101	100103			1	210	56049	20795	13335	7460	37.10146	23.79168	13.30978	163	77.61905	77	36.66667	5492	352	10	22	0	214	z	102	7143	13335	160	0	7295	5	7460	20795	z	0	z
202324	Academic year	Six half terms	School	E92000001	England	E12000007	London	204	E09000012	Hackney	State funded alternative provision	New Regent's College		2041103	134635		All through	1	178	35617	11716	3803	7913	32.8944	10.67749	22.21692	125	70.22472	44	24.7191	1632	188	6	5	0	0	z	472	1500	3803	202	0	7710	1	7913	11716	z	282	z

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Variables in this data set

Table showing all 32 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 severely absent pupils (50% or more missed)
enrolments_pa_50_exact_percent	Percentage of severely absent pupils (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_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_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_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_x_covid_rate	Rate 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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Using this data

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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/aa6e9d89-7d77-4e4b-b7a9-2b6e5fec54c7/csv")

R

read.csv("https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/aa6e9d89-7d77-4e4b-b7a9-2b6e5fec54c7/csv")

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Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Absence in state-funded alternative provision - school level 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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