More than 170,000 children in England missed at least half of their school lessons during the 2023-24 academic year, marking a record high according to government data from the Department for Education (DfE).

This statistic reflects 2.3% of pupils categorized as 'severely absent', defined as missing 50% or more of possible classes.

The figure represents an increase from 2.0% in the previous academic year, with the total number of severely absent pupils rising from 150,256 in 2022-23 to 171,269 in the latest reporting period.

This increase is notable as it is the highest number recorded since the DfE began tracking this data in 2006-07. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically in the 2018-19 academic year, the number of pupils classified as severely absent was significantly lower, standing at 60,247.

Furthermore, the rate of unauthorized absences rose from 2.4% in 2022-23 to 2.5% in 2023-24, compared to just 1.4% in 2018-19.

Pepe Di’Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), emphasized the importance of a collaborative approach involving parents, government, schools, and other agencies to address this serious issue.

He noted that a lack of funding could hinder the ability to support children in overcoming barriers to regular attendance.

In September 2023, changes to fines for school absences were implemented, increasing the penalty for first-time offenders from £60 to £80, and introducing a £160 fine for parents receiving a second fine for the same child within three years.

The latest data on attendance captures the situation before these fines were raised.

The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, recently urged school leaders to enhance efforts to improve pupil attendance, expressing concerns that certain schools were failing to make sufficient progress with their attendance rates.

Overall, the overall absence rate saw a decline from 7.4% in 2022-23 to 7.1% in 2023-24, yet it remains significantly higher than the pre-pandemic average of 4.7%.

Currently, approximately one in five pupils in England, equating to about 1.49 million students, were classified as 'persistently absent,' defined as missing 10% or more of school sessions during the previous academic year.

This represented a decrease from 21.2% in 2022-23 but is still above the 10.9% rate recorded in 2018-19.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), remarked that current methods for addressing absenteeism appear ineffective.

He highlighted that merely increasing pressure on schools without providing additional resources is unproductive, urging a focus on the underlying causes of absenteeism, including changing parental attitudes, school holiday pricing, and issues related to mental health and poverty.

Recent analysis from a think tank has indicated that unauthorised school absence significantly contributes to the growing performance gap between disadvantaged students and their peers.

Research from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) attributes the increase in the 'disadvantage gap' among 16-year-olds since 2019 to higher rates of absence among students eligible for free school meals (FSM).

It was determined that if disadvantaged pupils had attendance records equivalent to their peers, the attainment gap at age 11 would be nearly 10% smaller, while the gap at age 16 would decrease by 20%.

In response to the ongoing attendance challenges, a spokesperson from the Department for Education stated that the government is committed to addressing the underlying issues contributing to school absence.

The statement highlighted the necessity of a collective effort from government, schools, parents, and children to ensure improved attendance and better educational outcomes, indicating ongoing initiatives targeting barriers to school attendance.