Pupils were off school in the lead-up to Christmas at nearly double the annual rate due to the spike in flu and other seasonal illnesses, government figures suggest.
The absence rate was 14.3% across all state schools in the week commencing December 12, 2022 – almost twice the rate of 7.8% for across the academic year to date.
The Department for Education (DfE) said the upward trend was driven by a rise in sick days, which during the same period was 9.1% – up from 7.5% in the previous week and 2.6% at the start of term.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned that winter illnesses including flu and Covid-19 continue to circulate at “high levels”.
As a result, officials urged people to keep children with a fever off school and urged unwell adults to wear face masks to stem the spread of infections.
