Research Summary: Official Statistics: Pupil attendance in schools

The UK Department for Education has released official statistics detailing pupil attendance and absence rates across state-funded primary, secondary, and special schools. These statistics differentiate between overall, authorised, and unauthorised absences, providing data crucial for understanding student engagement and disengagement within the educational system.

Why it matters

This data provides foundational insights into student presence and absence patterns, which are critical indicators of educational engagement and systemic challenges. Understanding these trends is vital for resource allocation, policy development, and targeted interventions to improve educational outcomes and equity across the school system.

Key insights

• Official statistics have been published by the UK Department for Education.
• The data specifically covers pupil attendance in state-funded primary schools.
• The data also covers pupil attendance in state-funded secondary schools.
• Special schools are included in the scope of the attendance statistics.
• The statistics distinguish between overall absence, authorised absence, and unauthorised absence.

Source

UK Department for Education — https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/pupil-attendance-in-schools--96