Standards | LG Inform Plus

Help text: The overall absence rate in state-funded schools is the total number of overall absence sessions as a percentage of the total number of possible sessions available to that enrolment, where overall absence is the sum of authorised and unauthorised absence. One session is equal to half a day.

Parents of children of compulsory school age (aged 5 to 15 at the start of the school year) are required to ensure that they receive a suitable education by regular attendance at school or otherwise.

Data are based on state-funded primary and secondary (including maintained primary and secondary schools, city technology colleges, and academies) and special schools. Data are based on the geographical location of the school. Information relating to pupil absence counts the number of enrolments rather than the number of pupils.

Authorised absence is absence with permission from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes instances of absences for which a satisfactory explanation has been provided (for example, illness). Unauthorised absence is absence without permission from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absences. Arriving late for school, after the register has closed, is recorded as unauthorised absence.

No data was published for 2019/20 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From the 2020/21 academic year, the total sessions possible is the sum of possible sessions as recorded on the school census and sessions recorded as not attending in circumstances related to coronavirus.

Data uploaded from DFE annual release. Other term time releases are available