The issue of children missing school in England remains an urgent problem. New data shows that in the 2024-25 academic year, 18% of pupils were persistently absent, meaning that they missed 10% of their morning and afternoon sessions at school – around 19 days.
While a slight decrease from the previous year, this is still significantly higher than the rate before the pandemic (11%). And severe absence has risen. Around 176,000 children missed half or more of their school days.
