Responding to this morning’s pupil absence figures for the 2024/25 school year, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“School leaders work hard to encourage pupil attendance and these figures broadly show small but encouraging steps in the right direction.

“However, there remains some way to go if absence is to return closer to pre-pandemic levels.

"The small increases in absence among children with special educational needs (SEND) support plans, pupils in alternative provision, and those who are severely absent – fuelled by reduced attendance among young people with additional needs - demonstrate how important it is that the government’s proposals to reform the SEND system prove workable.

“Schools alone are not equipped to address the often deep-rooted causes of absence, which can include everything from illness and mental health challenges to unmet SEND, social issues and the impact of poverty.

“Further investment is needed in mental health services and social care which have been underfunded over the last decade, with vital roles like education welfare officers who worked directly with families to improve attendance being cut.

“Government initiatives including free breakfast clubs, a register of children not in school and attendance mentors in some areas may also help, its targets and AI-generated attendance reports for schools, and crude fines for parents less so.

“The focus should be on providing the practical resources and support that genuinely make a difference for both schools and families.”

The figures show:

• The overall absence rate fell from 7.15% in 2023/24 to 6.78% last year. In 2018/19 it was 4.73%
• Persistent absence fell from 19.95% to 18.14%
• Severe absence increased from 2.3% to 2.39% fuelled by an increase among pupils with SEND (from 6.85% to 7.5% for pupils with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and from 4.39% to 4.48% for those with SEND but no plan
• Overall absence increased from 12.63% to 12.74% for pupils with an Education Health and Care Plan but fell from 10.21% to 9.82% for pupils with SEND without a plan
• Between 2023/24 and 2024/25 the overall absence gap has continued to increase between pupils with SEND (EHCPs and those receiving other SEND support combined) and those with no identified SEND. The overall absence rate for pupils with SEND is over one and a half times that of pupils with no identified SEND.