More than 171,000 pupils missed at least half of possible school sessions in 2023/24, Department for Education statistics show.
In England, the number of "severely absent" pupils (missing at least 50% of school sessions) reached a record high of 171,269 (2.3% of pupils) in 2023/24, up from 150,256 in 2022/23 and 60,247 pre-pandemic (2018/19). The unauthorized absence rate also increased to 2.5%. While overall absence decreased to 7.1%, it remains higher than pre-pandemic levels. Approximately 1.49 million pupils (20%) were "persistently absent" (missing 10% or more of sessions).
