Unauthorised school absence rates in England remain around twice as high as before the pandemic, with nearly 12 million days missed in just two terms, according to official data from the Department for Education.
In the autumn and spring term of the 2025/26 academic year, unauthorised absences accounted for around 2.9% of all secondary school sessions across England. While this marks the second consecutive year in which absence rates have dropped, they are still roughly double pre-pandemic levels.
Deprivation and the attainment gap
Researchers highlight a strong link between deprivation and higher rates of unauthorised school absenteeism, which they say is widening the "disadvantage gap" in academic achievement. Analysis from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) shows that the growing attainment gap among 16-year-olds since 2019 has been entirely driven by higher absence rates among students on free school meals (FSM), leaving them months behind their peers.
The EPI report identified unauthorised secondary school absences as the main factor, noting they have a far greater impact on GCSE results than authorised time off, and this has accelerated rapidly since the pandemic. Nationally, secondary school pupils on FSM missed more than three times as much school for unauthorised reasons as those not eligible for the scheme last autumn and spring - 6.0%, compared to 1.7%.
Reasons for missed days
While around 1.1 million school days were lost to both term-time holidays and lateness, the vast majority - 9.3 million - were due to "other" reasons. These can include missing school for family birthdays, shopping trips, car trouble, or most often children skipping school without their parents' knowledge or permission.
The figures, recently published by the Department for Education, show that the rate of unauthorised absence varies widely by school. Schools with fewer than 300 pupils have been excluded from the analysis.
Schools with highest and lowest absence rates
The Co-op Academy in Leeds had the highest rate of unauthorised absence in autumn and spring last year, at 14.4% - nearly five times the national average. It was followed by Leeds East Academy (12.3%), The Basildon Upper Academy in Essex (11.5%), Fir Vale Academy in Sheffield (11.4%) and Notre Dame Catholic Academy in Liverpool (11.1%).
At the other end of the scale, Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School in Lambeth was the only school in the country to see almost no schooling missed for unauthorised reasons, at just 0.03%. Wilson's School in Sutton also had a particularly low rate (0.1%), as did Loreto Grammar School in Trafford (0.2%), The Camden School for Girls (0.2%), and Kesteven and Sleaford High School Selective Academy in Lincolnshire (0.2%).
A spokesperson for Dixons Academies, which has two schools in the top 20 for unauthorised absences, said: "These figures relate to unauthorised absence, which should not simply be equated with truancy. We are not satisfied with attendance at either school and there is more to do, but both have improved significantly from very challenging starting points. At Croxteth, Ofsted found that attendance had improved 'exceedingly quickly' and recognised the highly effective work to remove barriers to attendance. Our staff go to extraordinary lengths to support children and families, and we will keep doing that while building schools where every child feels they belong. More broadly, we are incredibly proud of the progress being made across our Liverpool schools, with all three in the top 20% nationally for improved attainment this year."
Tamsin Poulter, Principal of Oasis Academy Daventry Road, said: "While we recognise there is still significant work to do, we are encouraged by the improvements we're seeing in attendance compared with last year. We have strong systems in place and work closely with families to understand and address the often complex barriers to attendance, while maintaining high expectations. Alongside our successful move into our fantastic new school site, these are positive foundations to build on. We remain focused on ensuring every young person feels they belong at school and has the opportunity to thrive."
The data highlights a clear divide, with schools in more deprived areas recording significantly higher rates of unauthorised absence, while grammar schools and selective academies dominate the list of those with the lowest rates.
