Rise in school absences since Covid driven by anxiety and lack of support, say English councils

The latest attendance data from the DfE revealed that absences in the spring term were still 50% higher than before the pandemic. Photograph: Veryan Dale/Alamy

Increased anxiety and lack of mental health support are driving a steep increase in children missing school since the Covid pandemic, with some children “struggling to leave home”, according to councils in England.

Local authorities are also highlighting budget pressures that have forced cuts in school support staff, with some schools trying to “manage” students out of classrooms or disguising their attendance records, while others are “off-rolling” students to artificially boost school exam results.