Record number of pupils in England ‘severely absent’ from school – figures

Overall, 171,269 pupils were classed as severely absent last academic year (PA) - (PA Wire)

The number of pupils in England absent for long periods of time reached a record high last year, Government figures suggest.

Department for Education (DfE) data indicates that 2.3% of pupils were “severely absent”, which means they missed at least 50% of possible school sessions, in 2023/24, compared with 2.0% in 2022/23.