What is the current state of student attendance in England?

According to the article, the number of children in England who missed at least half of their classes rose to nearly 150,000 in autumn 2024, the highest rate since 2016/17.

How does the current student absence rate compare to pre-pandemic levels?

The article states that in the autumn of 2019, before the pandemic, only 0.86% of pupils (60,244) were severely absent, significantly lower than the current rate.

What measures have been taken to address the issue of student absenteeism in England?

The former government announced plans to increase fines for parents who take their children out of class without permission, but the impact has been limited, with the overall unauthorized holiday rate in autumn 2024 remaining largely unchanged.

Home / Education / England Grapples with Alarming Rise in Chronic Student Absenteeism

England Grapples with Alarming Rise in Chronic Student Absenteeism

7 Aug

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Summary

Severe student absences in England reached nearly 150,000 in autumn 2024
Persistent absence rate remains high at 17.79% despite recent improvements
Fines for unauthorized absences increased, but impact has been limited

As of August 7th, 2025, England is grappling with a concerning rise in chronic student absenteeism. Government figures suggest that the number of children who missed at least half of their classes reached nearly 150,000 in the autumn of 2024, up from 142,487 in the previous year.

This alarming trend represents the highest rate for an autumn term since current data began in 2016/17. Prior to the pandemic, in the autumn of 2019, only 0.86% of pupils (60,244) were severely absent.

The data also indicates that 17.79% of pupils in England, approximately 1.28 million young people, were "persistently absent" in the autumn term of 2024/25, missing at least 10% of school sessions. While this is down from the previous year's 19.44%, it remains significantly higher than the pre-pandemic level of 13.14%.

In response, the former government announced plans to increase fines for parents who take their children out of class without permission. However, the latest figures show that the overall unauthorized holiday rate in autumn 2024 was largely unchanged, with a slight decrease from 0.474% to 0.466%.

Education experts have expressed concern over the persistent issue, emphasizing the need for a more comprehensive approach to address the underlying barriers preventing students from regular attendance. Investing in attendance services, providing specialized support, and addressing the deep-seated social challenges facing families are seen as crucial steps to ensure these students receive a complete education.

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