Data set from Pupil absence in schools in England

Absence by pupil characteristics

Not the latest data

Published 26 March 2026

Last updated 26 March 2026

Absence information for the full academic year, by pupil characteristics including SEN, FSM eligibility, language, year group, sex and ethnicity.

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Data set details

• Theme: Pupils and schools
• Publication: Pupil absence in schools in England
• Release: Academic year 2024/25
• Number of rows: 250,190
• Geographic levels: Local authority, National, Regional
• Indicators:
  • Overall absence rate
  • Percentage of persistent absentees (10% or more missed)
  • Percentage of severely absent pupils (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
  • Authorised absence rate
  • Unauthorised absence rate
  • Number of persistent absentees (10% or more missed)
  • Number of severely absent pupils (50% or more missed)
  • Overall absence rate exact
  • Authorised absence rate exact
  • Unauthorised absence rate exact
  • Number of sessions possible for persistent absentees
  • Number of overall absence sessions for persistent absentees
  • Number of authorised absence sessions for persistent absentees
  • Number of unauthorised 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 interview sessions
  • Number of late sessions
  • Number of medical appointments 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
  • Number of no reason yet sessions
  • Number of overall reasons sessions
  • Authorised holiday rate
  • Authorised other rate
  • Authorised reasons rate
  • Excluded rate
  • Illness rate
  • Interview rate
  • Late rate
  • Medical appointments rate
  • Regulated performance rate
  • Religious observance rate
  • Study leave rate
  • Temporary reduced timetable rate
  • Traveller rate
  • Unauthorised holiday rate
  • Unauthorised other rate
  • Unauthorised reasons rate
  • No reason yet rate
  • Overall reasons rate
  • Number of sessions recorded as exceptional circumstances
  • Number of sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances
  • Number of sessions unable to attend because of access arrangements
  • Rate of sessions recorded as exceptional circumstances
  • Rate of sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances
• Filters:
  • Characteristic
  • School type
• Time period: 2018/19 to 2024/25

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Data set preview

Table showing first 5 rows, from underlying data

time_period	time_identifier	absence_terms	geographic_level	country_code	country_name	region_code	region_name	old_la_code	new_la_code	la_name	education_phase	breakdown_topic	breakdown	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	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	sess_auth_illness_rate	sess_auth_appointments_rate	sess_auth_religious_rate	sess_auth_study_rate	sess_auth_traveller_rate	sess_auth_holiday_rate	sess_auth_ext_holiday_rate	sess_auth_excluded_rate	sess_auth_interview_rate	sess_auth_reg_performance_rate	sess_auth_temp_reduced_timetable_rate	sess_auth_other_rate	sess_auth_totalreasons_rate	sess_unauth_holiday_rate	sess_unauth_late_rate	sess_unauth_other_rate	sess_unauth_noyet_rate	sess_unauth_totalreasons_rate	sess_overall_totalreasons_rate	sess_x_covid_rate	sess_y_exceptional_rate
202425	Academic year	Six half terms	Local authority	E92000001	England	E12000005	West Midlands	334	E08000029	Solihull	Special	Year group	Year not followed or missing	3	76	32	6	26	42.10526	7.89474	34.21053	2	66.66667	52	32	6	26	61.53846	11.53846	50	1	33.33333	4	0	0	0	0	z	z	0	0	0	0	2	6	0	0	25	1	26	32	z	0	0	5.26316	0	0	0	0	z	z	0	0	0	0	2.63158	7.89474	0	0	32.89474	1.31579	34.21053	42.10526	z	0
202425	Academic year	Six half terms	Local authority	E92000001	England	E12000005	West Midlands	335	E08000030	Walsall	State-funded secondary	Year group	Year 1 and below	63	21734	1453	908	545	6.68538	4.17779	2.50759	13	20.63492	3477	746	450	296	21.45528	12.94219	8.51309	2	3.1746	529	43	8	0	0	z	z	0	0	0	294	34	908	64	26	455	0	545	1453	z	0	0	2.43397	0.19785	0.03681	0	0	z	z	0	0	0	1.35272	0.15644	4.17779	0.29447	0.11963	2.09349	0	2.50759	6.68538	z	0
202425	Academic year	Six half terms	Local authority	E92000001	England	E12000005	West Midlands	335	E08000030	Walsall	State-funded secondary	Year group	Year 11	3769	1126974	123737	55930	67807	10.97958	4.96285	6.01673	1169	31.01618	336010	91076	32823	58253	27.10515	9.76846	17.33669	196	5.20032	33474	4062	1031	7059	8	z	z	2798	880	0	1374	5244	55930	2590	10534	54391	292	67807	123737	z	6578	119	2.97025	0.36043	0.09148	0.62637	0.00071	z	z	0.24828	0.07809	0	0.12192	0.46532	4.96285	0.22982	0.93472	4.82629	0.02591	6.01673	10.97958	z	0.58369
202425	Academic year	Six half terms	Local authority	E92000001	England	E12000005	West Midlands	335	E08000030	Walsall	Special	Year group	Year 3	82	29156	3546	2789	757	12.16216	9.56578	2.59638	28	34.14634	9982	2594	2001	593	25.98678	20.04608	5.94069	3	3.65854	1640	173	38	0	0	z	z	9	2	0	0	927	2789	435	198	124	0	757	3546	z	266	0	5.62491	0.59336	0.13033	0	0	z	z	0.03087	0.00686	0	0	3.17945	9.56578	1.49197	0.67911	0.4253	0	2.59638	12.16216	z	0.91233
202425	Academic year	Six half terms	Local authority	E92000001	England	E12000005	West Midlands	335	E08000030	Walsall	State-funded secondary	Year group	Year 4	64	22858	1201	556	645	5.25418	2.43241	2.82177	4	6.25	946	389	193	196	41.12051	20.40169	20.71882	1	1.5625	339	35	6	0	0	z	z	0	4	0	161	11	556	144	33	468	0	645	1201	z	0	0	1.48307	0.15312	0.02625	0	0	z	z	0	0.0175	0	0.70435	0.04812	2.43241	0.62998	0.14437	2.04742	0	2.82177	5.25418	z	0

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Variables in this data set

Table showing all 63 variables

Variable name	Variable description
breakdown	Characteristic - Filter by pupil characteristic
education_phase	School type - Filter by school type - Total includes primary, secondary and special
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)
sess_auth_appointments	Number of medical appointments sessions
sess_auth_appointments_rate	Medical appointments rate
sess_auth_excluded	Number of excluded sessions
sess_auth_excluded_rate	Excluded rate
sess_auth_ext_holiday	Number of extended authorised holiday sessions
sess_auth_holiday	Number of authorised holiday sessions
sess_auth_holiday_rate	Authorised holiday rate
sess_auth_illness	Number of illness sessions
sess_auth_illness_rate	Illness rate
sess_auth_interview	Number of interview sessions
sess_auth_interview_rate	Interview rate
sess_auth_other	Number of authorised other sessions
sess_auth_other_rate	Authorised other rate
sess_auth_reg_performance	Number of regulated performance sessions
sess_auth_reg_performance_rate	Regulated performance rate
sess_auth_religious	Number of religious observance sessions
sess_auth_religious_rate	Religious observance rate
sess_auth_study	Number of study leave sessions
sess_auth_study_rate	Study leave rate
sess_auth_temp_reduced_timetable	Number of temporary reduced timetable sessions
sess_auth_temp_reduced_timetable_rate	Temporary reduced timetable rate
sess_auth_totalreasons	Number of authorised reasons sessions
sess_auth_totalreasons_rate	Authorised reasons rate
sess_auth_traveller	Number of traveller sessions
sess_auth_traveller_rate	Traveller rate
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_overall_totalreasons_rate	Overall reasons rate
sess_possible	Number of sessions possible
sess_possible_pa_10_exact	Number of sessions possible for persistent absentees
sess_q_la_arrangements	Number of sessions unable to attend because of access arrangements
sess_unauth_holiday	Number of unauthorised holiday sessions
sess_unauth_holiday_rate	Unauthorised holiday rate
sess_unauth_late	Number of late sessions
sess_unauth_late_rate	Late rate
sess_unauth_noyet	Number of no reason yet sessions
sess_unauth_noyet_rate	No reason yet rate
sess_unauth_other	Number of unauthorised other sessions
sess_unauth_other_rate	Unauthorised other rate
sess_unauth_totalreasons	Number of unauthorised reasons sessions
sess_unauth_totalreasons_rate	Unauthorised reasons rate
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_x_covid_rate	Rate of sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances
sess_y_exceptional	Number of sessions recorded as exceptional circumstances
sess_y_exceptional_rate	Rate of sessions recorded as exceptional circumstances

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Footnotes

1. Total includes state-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools.
2. 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.
3. From 2023/24 the school census data item ‘sex’ replaced ‘gender’. Historical use of the word “gender” in the data collection may have meant that “gender identity” was reported in some cases, as opposed to legal sex. While this is unlikely to have a significant effect on overall figures, it may affect figures in more granular subdivisions. Time-series in this publication prior to spring 2023 which contained gender as a category may be affected.
4. EHC plans – A pupil has an EHC plan when a formal assessment has been made. A document is in place that sets out the child’s need and the extra help they should receive. EHC plans were introduced in September 2014 replacing Statements of SEN, with these being phased out by April 2018. This category therefore includes Statements of SEN for the years up to 2018.
5. SEN support - From 2015, the School Action and School Action Plus categories were combined to form one category of SEN support. Extra or different help is given from that provided as part of the school’s usual curriculum. The class teacher and special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) may receive advice or support from outside specialists. The pupil does not have an Education, Health and Care plan.

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read.csv("https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/e2eb493a-dc95-41f4-96ef-b886c5cd2019/csv")

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Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Absence by pupil characteristics 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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