policy
Official Statistics: Pupil attendance in schools
- Source
- UK Department for Education
- Published
- Last verified
- 7 Aug 2026
- Confidence
- Moderate
- Evidence
- Original document retained
- Reading time
- 1 min
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Relevant to
- Technology & Data, Finance & Investment, Partners & Funders, Policy & Regulation
Executive summary
What happened, and why should leadership care?
The UK Department for Education has released official statistics detailing pupil attendance and absence rates across state-funded primary, secondary, and special schools. These data distinguish between overall, authorised, and unauthorised absences, providing a comprehensive overview of school attendance patterns.
Why this matters
Why is this strategically important?
Understanding pupil attendance is critical for assessing educational efficacy and societal welfare. Consistent attendance directly correlates with academic achievement and broader developmental outcomes, making these statistics a key indicator for governmental and educational strategic planning.
Key insights
What should be noted from the evidence?
- Data includes attendance levels in state-funded primary schools.
- Data includes attendance levels in state-funded secondary schools.
- Data includes attendance levels in state-funded special schools.
- Overall absence rates are reported.
- Authorised absence rates are reported.
Evidence and confidence
How far can this assessment be trusted?
Moderate confidence. Provenance established; supporting evidence remains partial.
Analysis is prepared editorially by Aziz Shuaib Ausi. The original publication remains the authoritative record, and executive judgement remains entirely human.
Source
Where does this originate?
Reported by UK Department for Education · United Kingdom. This briefing summarises the publication for executive use; the document itself is not reproduced here.
Read the original publication