Research published by the NASUWT and involving 1,079 teachers finds that 94% report increased unauthorised absences since 2020, with two-thirds stating that the increases are “significant”.
On average, the teachers in the study, which was carried out during October 2024, say that 15% of the pupils they teach are now persistently absent from lessons – which means they are missing 10% of sessions or more.
Attendance data from the Department for Education shows that so far this academic year (up until November 8) the rate of unauthorised absence is 2% – 1.4% in primary schools and 2.7% in secondaries (DfE, 2024a). This compares with 2.2% during the spring 2024 and autumn 2023 terms (DfE, 2024b).
Meanwhile, the DfE data also shows that 19.2% of pupils were classed as persistently absent in the spring 2024 and autumn 2023 terms (DfE, 2024b).
Asked what is driving persistent absence, teachers in the NASUWT study cited parental disengagement with the education system (75%) and an increased willingness of parents to keep their children off school when ill (71%).
The teachers also said parents are more willing now to take their children out of school for family events and holidays (68%), while 67% cited children’s mental health issues as being behind high levels of persistent absence.
The teachers report that levels of persistent absence are higher among disadvantaged groups as well as children with mental health conditions and, to a lesser extent, those with SEND.
The teachers said that the biggest barrier to tackling attendance issues was a refusal from parents to engage with the school (78%) followed by a lack of time to work with persistently absent pupils and their families (70%).
Teachers in the survey described the barriers to attendance they are seeing. One teacher said: “Children are anxious about coming to school or have undiagnosed needs. Those that have diagnosed needs are not always being supported in the way that they should be, thus increasing anxiety.”
Another added: “There just seems to be a general acceptance for students to take time off if they are feeling anxious about school in any way. Resilience to feeling 'tired and under the weather' seems to have reduced.”
The research finds that dealing with pupil absences is having a “significant adverse impact” on teachers’ workload, with 91% estimating increased workload due to attendance issues.
This includes adapting lessons to accommodate pupils who have been absent (67%), preparing work to be sent home (66%), and contacting parents regarding absent pupils (58%).
Again, teachers in the survey described the workload challenges they are facing. One said: “If pupils miss lessons they generally do not catch up. So when they come back into my classroom they cannot do the work as they have missed large chunks and therefore I cannot progress the class and they can become disruptive and defiant.”
Another added: “Management expect teachers to chase-up absence. There isn't enough time and the expectation is that we do these tasks in imaginary work time that doesn't exist. I'm fed up of using my own time at home to complete everything expected of us. Our work place doesn't even have an attendance officer. Dump it on teachers instead.”
The survey found that the increase in rates of persistent absence are much higher in the North East than any other region – 89% of teachers said absences have increased in the last two years, compared to 53% in London. The increase in absences is also noticeably higher in secondary (68%) than in primary (54%).
When it comes to solutions, the teachers felt that action to tackle the high cost of holidays during school holiday times would have the biggest impact on unauthorised absence (68%).
Other actions suggested by respondents include parenting classes for persistently absent students (62%), expansion of alternative/specialist education provision (60%), increased intervention from external specialist services (57%), and trained mental health professionals in every school (55%).
The survey findings come after the government confirmed in October that £15m will be spent to provide 10,000 more vulnerable children with specialist attendance mentors to help them to overcome barriers to attending school.
The expansion will cover 10 additional areas – Blackpool, Hartlepool, Hastings, Ipswich, Norwich, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Rochdale, Walsall, and West Somerset – with roll-out beginning in March 2025.
The original programme launched in 2022 across five pilot areas and sees attendance mentors providing one-to-one support to persistently absent pupils. It was originally piloted in Middlesborough before being expanded in 2023 to Knowsley, Doncaster, Stoke-on-Trent, and Salford.
Speaking this week, Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of NASUWT, said: “High levels of persistent absence are one of the biggest challenges facing teachers and one of the biggest threats to the quality of education and children’s future life chances.
“Teachers cannot deal with the problem of persistent absence alone. Tackling the problem requires a nationally coordinated plan that will deliver the extra resources schools need, as well as better support for children, young people and families.
“The significant amount of time that teachers are spending on liaising with parents of absent pupils is not only increasing already excessive workloads, but also diverting teachers’ time from meeting the needs of those pupils who are in class.
“There is a need for a national mission to tackle absence from school and to make regular school attendance the norm, not the exception.”
- DfE: Week 45 2024: Pupil attendance in schools, DfE, November 2024a: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-attendance-in-schools
- DfE: Autumn and spring term 2023/24: Pupil absence in schools in England, October 2024b: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england