Just one in 20 pupils who are severely absent during exam years get at least five good GCSEs, the first analysis on the link between post-pandemic outcomes and attendance shows.
Children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza has repeated calls for an extension of the attendance hub network and for dedicated school leaders to manage attendance policies to solve an absenteeism epidemic.
Her report shows just 5 per cent of children who missed over half of school days in 2020-21 and 2021-22 went on to get a grade 4 or above in five GCSEs including English and maths.
In comparison, just over a third (36 per cent) of pupils who were persistently absent – meaning they missed 10 per cent or more sessions – in both years got at least five good GCSEs.
