Truant schoolchildren cost parents thousands of pounds in lost income
Children not going to school are costing parents thousands of pounds in lost income, a study has revealed.
Revealed: Attendance rates plummet as temperature soars
Almost a fifth of children missed lessons this week as temperatures soared to record highs – with attendance rates plummeting even further in some areas.
Secondaries more likely to be marked down for attendance and behaviour
Ofsted’s latest data reveals a disparity in outcomes between primary and secondary schools in the combined inspection area of attendance and behaviour.
'I have no future' - fears special needs children will struggle despite education reforms
Thousands of children with special educational needs and disability (SEND) across the country are absent from their education every year, according to the latest government figures.
Have schools been put into an attendance trap?
New guidance on communicating with parents about absence leaves schools with the ‘all but impossible’ task of improving attendance without being able to hold families to account, warn leaders.
Persistently disadvantaged pupils are too often invisible – the government must act
As a teacher, I saw first-hand how education can lift children out of incredibly difficult circumstances.
Rejected: 1 in 10 offers of extra attendance and behaviour help
Schools targeted for help under DfE scheme may feel ‘unfairly stigmatised’, says heads’ leader.
Key Stage 2 attainment, lifetime absence and context
We use Key Stage 2 data for 2025 from the National Pupil Database (NPD). We include all 653,000 pupils at state-funded mainstream and special schools.
School Belonging and Attendance: How much difference can it make?
Schools across the country continue to grapple with stubbornly high absence rates in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Growing apart: the evolution of the disadvantage gap
Many of the biggest challenges facing the education system – including absence, disengagement and SEND – are complex, interrelated and are shaped by socioeconomic circumstance.
Every day counts: Understanding, preventing and responding to school attendance problems
Every morning, millions of children are expected to attend school. Yet many face barriers that prevent regular attendance.
Birthday bunk-offs fuelling avoidable school absence
Children are up to 55% more likely to miss school on their birthday – one of a string of ‘just one day off’ habits that new government analysis shows could be quietly costing children weeks of learning.
DfE highlights Taylor Swift gig in crackdown on ‘one-off’ absences
Government publishes the research behind its plans to curb one-day absences, alongside a new parental communications guide for schools to help keep messaging ‘useful’.
Pupils up to 55% more likely to miss school on their birthday
Pupils are up to 55 per cent more likely to miss school on their birthdays, according to new government absence analysis.
Let birthday pupils skip lunch queue to cut absence, schools told
Schools will be provided with new tools highlighting absence patterns over the year, and new communications guides to improve engagement with families.
England's 'just one day off' culture adding up to weeks of lost learning as 'birthday bunk offs' become the norm
England's 'just one day off' culture is adding up to weeks of lost learning for pupils, as officials warn 'birthday bunk offs' are becoming the norm.
School absence: Study urges focus on wider wellbeing factors
Lower life-satisfaction is associated with decreased school attendance suggesting a need to place wider wellbeing measures at the heart of efforts to address persistent absence.
Life satisfaction levels closely linked to school absence rates, study shows
Pupils that miss school, including those that are persistently absent, are more likely to experience low levels of satisfaction with their life, research shows.
Low life satisfaction more strongly associated with school absence for girls than boys
New NFER research shows that lower life satisfaction among pupils in England is associated with higher school absences, with stronger links seen among girls and persistently absent pupils*.
Boost girls’ wellbeing to cut absence, ministers told
Improving life satisfaction is ‘likely to yield the greatest benefits’ for school attendance, NFER researchers find.