At primary, persistent absence rates ranged from 18% in London and the West Midlands, to 15% in the South East. All regions saw rates this Autumn within one percentage point of last Autumn, apart from London where persistent absence increased by two percentage points.
Summing up
Overall, absence and persistent absence this china rcs data Autumn term were slightly lower than last Autumn at secondary, though levels of unauthorised absence remained high.
At primary, there has been little change since last Autumn, apart from for pupils in Reception and Year 1, where persistent absence seems to have increased a little.
Small increases in persistent absence at this relatively early stage of the year are perhaps not overly concerning, but may be worth keeping an eye on as the year progresses.
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Notes
[1] “Other” is a catch-all category for all forms of unauthorised absence which aren’t coded as illness-related, for example medical appointments, or “C” coded leaves of absence which may indicate a flexi-schooling arrangement.
Attendance
absenceattendanceAttendance Trackerpersistent absence
About the Author: Katie Beynon
Katie Beynon is a statistician at FFT Education Datalab, having previously spent five years as a secondary school data manager and three in higher education. Her main research interests are inclusion and fairness in education, with a particular focus on the areas of attendance, curriculum, and student outcomes.