Pupil absence rates remain well above pre-pandemic figures, as leading think tank warns of unemployment risk if urgent action is not taken.
The Department for Education has published new figures on pupil absence in schools, revealing a 6.38% overall absence rate during the autumn term 2024/25. This is a decrease from 6.69% the year before, despite remaining well above pre-pandemic rates.
Following the data release, the Centre for Social Justice has warned that rising school absence will contribute to 180,000 pupils leaving school to become NEETs (not in education, employment or training).
In the last autumn term, the majority of absences were due to illness. Additionally, 17.79% of absences were persistent, whilst 2.04% of absences were severe. Persistent absences refer to pupils who miss 10% of more sessions, whilst severe ones are those who missed 50% and over.
Overall, pupils on free school meals (FSM) continued to see higher absence rates, at 9.83%, than those not on FSM.
The data team at Polimapper has mapped pupil absence rates in schools in England during the Autumn term 2024/25.
Absence rates were highest in Knowsley (7.68%) and the Isle of Wight (7.5%). Conversely, this was lower in Trafford and Richmond, at 4.91% and 5.05% respectively. Explore statistics in your area below.
About this map
The visualisation below shows pupil absence rates by local authority in England.
To explore statistics in your area, double click on the map or launch the full page visualisation here. Scroll down in each local authority page to view in-depth graphs.
Geodata context
Analysing the data, the Centre for Social Justice argues that despite recent improvements, absence trends remain on an alarmingly upwards trajectory. The think tank adds that the rise in persistent absence will have a lifetime cost of £14 billion to the taxpayer.
Beth Prescott, education lead at the CSJ: “Five years on from school closures, classroom absences can no longer be viewed as a post-pandemic blip. The material risk now is that this issue is becoming deeply entrenched.
“This is not just an educational problem. It is sending a bow wave of harm through our economy, driving more young people towards a life of wasted potential and benefit dependency.”
“Ministers must now build on the progress they have made and work with local charities and families to provide more absent pupils with the mentorship they need to return to school. But with the crisis deepening we need to attack the root causes of school absence, including softening parental attitudes to attendance and an education system that fails to engage thousands of young people.”
Ali Wheeler, chief executive at WeMindTheGap: “We’re not surprised by these figures. We work with amazing young people every day who are affected by not only the pace, structure and pressure of the school environment, but are also dealing with significant other challenges outside of school which are impacting attendance.”
“We say it takes a village to raise a child, but a system to mind their gaps. We must work together to understand the gaps, the system of support and most importantly, ensure every young person has the opportunity to live, learn and thrive”.