Record High Number of Pupils Missing School in England

England has seen a significant rise in the number of students who are missing a substantial amount of school, with the latest data revealing a record high.

Despite an overall improvement in student attendance during the 2024/25 academic year, there was a notable increase in the number of pupils who were severely absent, meaning they missed at least half of their classes.

This surge in severe absences can be largely attributed to a rise in students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) missing school, while the number of severely absent students without SEND actually decreased compared to the previous year.

According to the Department for Education (DfE), there has been 'real progress' made, with 225,000 more students attending school regularly, but the DfE acknowledges that more needs to be done to support students with SEND.

One mother, Rebecca, whose real name has not been disclosed, believes that there is a lack of support for children who experience long-term school absences due to illness.

Rebecca's seven-year-old daughter, Gracie, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at the age of three and had to undergo over two years of treatment.

Gracie spent extensive periods in the hospital and, even after completing her treatment and going into remission, she struggled to adjust to school life.

Gracie's mother says that her daughter experienced severe levels of school absence both during and after her treatment and has since developed anxiety about returning to class.

Rebecca expresses her concern that 'there isn't enough support around kids who are going through treatment or have finished treatment when it comes to going to school'.

She emphasizes that 'for a child that young to go through something like cancer is not normal, it's a really traumatic experience to go through'.

Despite changing schools and receiving one-to-one support through an education, health and care plan (EHCP), Gracie continued to struggle with attending school.

However, in recent months, Gracie's school attendance has shown improvement after she began receiving tutoring support at home twice a week from the charity Bright Futures UK, which Rebecca says has greatly helped Gracie's confidence.

Rebecca says, 'it's taken quite a long time to get to where we are, but I'm very hopeful that by the end of this year, she will be in full-time education'.

The DfE's data categorizes school absence rates using terms such as 'severe' for children who miss over half of their school time and 'persistent' for pupils who miss over 10% of school.

A report by Bright Futures UK, which provides tutoring and mentoring for young people with medical conditions, also measured the number of pupils missing 20% of school.

The report estimates that approximately 279,000 children missed a fifth of their education in 2023/24 due to long-term illness.

Joshua Pelled, the chief executive of Bright Futures UK, states that children with long-term illnesses can feel 'completely forgotten and overlooked' within the SEND system.

Pelled emphasizes that 'not putting the correct support in place for a young person can lead to severe mental health complications and emotionally-based school avoidance'.

He further explains that 'even a young person facing a physical illness, if they don't get the right support in place, they become anxious, nervous, and they have less confidence about being in school and keeping up with friends'.

Since the end of the Covid pandemic, keeping children in school has been a significant challenge.

However, overall absence rates for state schools have improved year on year, with the most recent figures showing the biggest improvement in attendance in over a decade, according to the DfE.

Nevertheless, the number of children missing half or more of their education has increased to over 175,000 students, with a large proportion being children with SEND.

The DfE reports that over 5,000 more pupils with EHCPs missed half or more of their schooling in 2024/25 compared to the previous year, while the number of those without additional needs improved.

A spokesperson for the DfE acknowledges that 'we know there's more to do, particularly for children with SEND'.

The spokesperson highlights that the DfE has launched the biggest reform to the SEND system in a generation, with work already underway to ensure children receive the right support earlier, in a school near them.

Additionally, the DfE has introduced initiatives such as free breakfast clubs, attendance, and behaviour hubs to tackle the root causes of absence and build a system where every child can achieve and thrive, whatever their background or needs.

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