School Attendance and Absence in England: Working with Data to Inform Policy and Practice Beneficial to Young People

This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the recording, reporting, and use of data pertaining to school attendance and absence in England. To establish a foundation, we outline the educational context in England, alongside an explanation of the legal framework guiding the collection and use of attendance and absence data. Subsequently, we elucidate the definition and documentation of various types of absence in England, the methodologies employed for data collection and dissemination, as well as the utilisation of this data for benchmarking purposes. Notably, attendance serves as a key performance indicator for schools, Trusts, and Local Authorities, aiming to improve the educational outcomes of young people. Through a critical examination of the current policy and practice in England concerning data on school attendance and absence, we identify strengths and weaknesses. Based on our findings, we propose additional actions to improve the consistency of data collection and foster the effective reporting and use of data to support prompt responses as needed. Through these suggestions, our endeavour is to drive continuous improvement and optimise outcomes for young people in England.

1. Alabbad, H. J. M. (2020). A study of school attendance and exclusions in secondary schools in England [Doctoral dissertation]. Durham University. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/13471/

2. Anti-Social Behaviour Act (2003). https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/38/part/3/crossheading/truancy-and-exclusion-from-school

3. Burtonshaw, S., & Dorrell, E. (2023). Listening to, and learning from, parents in the attendance crisis. Public First. https://www.publicfirst.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ATTENDANCE-REPORT-V02.pdf

4. Butera, C., Ring, P., Sideris, J., Jayashankar, A., Kilroy, E., Harrison, L., Cermak, S., & Aziz‐Zadeh, L. (2020). Impact of sensory processing on school performance outcomes in high functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Mind, Brain, & Education, 14, 243−254. CrossRef

5. Children's Commissioner. (2022a, March). Where are England's children? Interim findings from the Children's Commissioner's Attendance Audit. https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/report/where-are-englands-children-interim-findings-from-the-childrens-commissioners-attendance-audit/

6. Children's Commissioner. (2022b, June). Voices of England's missing children. https://assets.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wpuploads/2022/09/cc-voices-of-englands-missing-children-june-2022.pdf

7. Children's Commissioner. (2023, March). New attendance figures for academic year 2021/22. https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/blog/new-attendance-figures-for-academic-year-2021-22/

8. Department for Education. (2013, April). Education for children with health needs who cannot attend school. www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-for-children-with-health-needs-who-cannot-attend-school

9. Department for Education. (2013, updated 2016). Children missing education: Statutory guidance for local authorities and advice for other groups on helping children who are missing education get back into it. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-missing-education CrossRef

10. Department for Education. (2018, March). Unregistered independent schools and out of school settings. Departmental advice for collaborative working between the Department for Education, Ofsted and local authorities. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/690495/La_Guidance_March_2018.pdf

11. Department for Education. (2020, August). School attendance guidance. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1039223/School_attendance_guidance_for_2021_to_2022_academic_year.pdf

12. Department for Education. (2021a, November). New measures to reduce pupil absence [Press release]. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-measures-to-reduce-pupil-absence

13. Department for Education. (2021b, December). Academic year 20/21 parental responsibility measures. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/parental-responsibility-measures

14. Department for Education. (2021c, December). Keeping children safe in education. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1021914/KCSIE_2021_September_guidance.pdf

15. Department for Education. (2021d, December). New measures to reduce pupil absence −Attendance Alliance Group [Press release]. https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/attendance-alliance-group

16. Department for Education. (2022a). Statistics: Pupil absence. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-pupil-absence

17. Department for Education. (2022b, January). School attendance consultation: Improving consistency of support. https://consult.education.gov.uk/school-attendance-policy-and-strategy-team/school-attendance-improving-consistency-of-support/

18. Department for Education. (2022c, February). Improving attendance: good practice for schools and multi-academy trusts webpage. https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/improving-attendance-good-practice-for-schools-and-multi-academy-trusts

19. Department for Education. (2022d, March). Opportunity for all. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/opportunity-for-all-strong-schools-with-great-teachers-for-your-child

20. Department for Education. (2022e, April). Addendum: Recording attendance in relation to coronavirus (COVID-19) during the 2021 to 2022 academic year, updated. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-attendance/addendum-recording-attendance-in-relation-to-coronavirus-covid-19-during-the-2021-to-2022-academic-year

21. Department for Education. (2022f, May). School attendance: Improving the consistency of support. Government consultation response. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1073554/School_attendance_consultation_government_response.pdf

22. Department for Education. (2022g, May). Working together to improve school attendance. Guidance

23. for maintained schools, academies, independent schools and local authorities. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1099677/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance.pdf

24. Department for Education. (2022h, June). Modernising school attendance and admission registers and setting national thresholds for legal intervention. https://consult.education.gov.uk/school-attendance-policy-and-strategy-team/school-registers-and-national-thresholds-for-legal/supporting_documents/Consultation%20Document_Pupil%20Registration%20Regulations_Thresholds%20Legal%20Intervention.pdf

25. Department for Education. (2022i, October). A contract award notice. https://bidstats.uk/tenders/2022/W43/785449019

26. Department for Education. (2023, September). Keeping children safe in education. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2

27. Education Act (1870). https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/livinglearning/school/overview/1870educationact/

28. Education Act (1996), Sections 7, 13, 13 a, 14 and 436a. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/56/contents

29. Education and Skills Act (2008). https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2008/25/contents/enacted

30. Education Endowment Foundation. (n.d.). A trial to test the impact of sending parents text messages about their child's attendance on school attendance rates. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/projects/bitup-updating-parents-on-number-of-school-days-missed-2022-23-trial

31. Education Endowment Foundation. (2022). Attendance interventions rapid evidence assessment. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/evidence-reviews/attendance-interventions-rapid-evidence-assessment

32. Education Penalty Notices Regulations (2007). https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/1867/contents/made

33. Fleming, M., Fitton, C. A., Steiner, M. F. C., McLay, J. S., Clark, D., King, A., Mackay, D. F., & Pell, J. P. (2017). Educational and health outcomes of children treated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. JAMA Pediatrics, 171, Article e170691. CrossRef

34. HM Government. (2022a). Guidance. School attendance: Guidance for schools. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-attendance#full-publication-update-history

35. HM Government. (2022b). Everything you need to know about the Schools Bill. https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/05/12/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-schools-bill/

36. HM Government. (2022c). Parental responsibility measures. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/parental-responsibility-measures

37. HM Government. (2022d). Share your daily school attendance data. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/share-your-daily-school-attendance-data

38. HM Government. (2022e). The link between absence and attainment at KS2 and KS4. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/the-link-between-absence-and-attainment-at-ks2-and-ks4

39. HM Government. (2023a). Pupil absence statistics: methodology. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/methodology/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england#section3-1

40. HM Government. (2023b). Pupil absence in schools in England. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england

41. HM Government. (2023c). Elective home education. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education

42. Isle of Wight Council (Appellant) v Platt (Respondent), The Supreme Court Judgement (2017). https://www.supremecourt.uk/cases/uksc-2016-0155.html

43. Kearney, C. A., Benoit, L., Gonzálvez, C., & Keppens, G. (2022). School attendance and school absenteeism: A primer for the past, present, and theory of change for the future. Frontiers in Education, 7, Article 1044608. CrossRef

44. Lereya, S. T., Cattan, S., Yoon, Y., Gilbert, R., & Deighton, J. (2023). How does the association between special education need and absence vary overtime and across special education need types? European Journal of Special Needs Education, 38, 245−259. CrossRef

45. Lereya, S. T., Patel, M., Dos Santos, J. P. G. A., & Deighton, J. (2019). Mental health difficulties, attainment and attendance: A cross-sectional study. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 28, 1147−1152. CrossRef

46. Long, R. & Danechi, S. (2023). Home education in England. The House of Commons Library. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn05108/

47. MPs launch new inquiry into persistent absence and support for disadvantaged pupils. (2023,

48. January 12). https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/203/education-committee/news/175361/mps-launch-new-inquiry-into-persistent-absence-and-support-for-disadvantaged-pupils/

49. Ofsted. (2019, updated 2023). Guidance. Inspecting schools: guide for maintained and academy schools. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/inspecting-schoolsguidefor-maintained-and-academy-schools

50. Ofsted. (2021). Education inspection framework [Updated July 2021]. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-inspection-framework/education-inspection-framework

51. Ofsted. (2022). Securing good attendance and tackling persistent absence. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/securing-good-attendance-and-tackling-persistent-absence/securing-good-attendance-and-tackling-persistent-absence

52. Police and Criminal Evidence Act (1984). https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/60/contents

53. Restorative Justice, Coventry. (2019, February). Prosecuting parents for truancy: who pays the price? http://covrj.uk/prosecuting-parents

54. The Children's Act (1989). https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/contents

55. The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulation (2006). https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/1751/contents/made