Mental health is main cause of rising absences in England, say headteachers

DfE figures showed a 150% increase in the number of children classified as severely absent in 2022-23, compared with before the pandemic. Photograph: Martin Argles/The Guardian

Children’s mental health and anxiety are the biggest drivers behind the sustained rise in school absences since the Covid pandemic, according to headteachers who said the government’s plan to raise fines for parents in England would make no difference.

Nearly nine out of 10 secondary school leaders – including attendance officers tasked with tackling absences – said there had been a marked increase in pupils missing school over the past two years because of mental health issues.