Two times more children skipping school than pre-Covid pandemic - check your area

Two times more children skipping school than pre-Covid pandemic - check your area Nearly 12 million school days were missed in just two terms across England, official data from the Department for Education shows - check how your area compares with our interactive tool Double the number of children are skipping school compared to before the pandemic, new figures show. Nearly 12 million days were missed without authorisation last autumn and spring - and you can use our interactive tool to see how your child's school compares. Across England, unauthorised absences made up around 2.9% of all secondary school sessions in the autumn and spring term 2025/26. It marks the second year in a row absence rates have dropped, but they remain around twice as high as before the pandemic. Researchers say there is a strong link between deprivation and higher rates of unauthorised school absenteeism - and that this is widening the "disadvantage gap" when it comes to academic achievement. Check your area While around 1.1 million school days were lost to both term-time holidays and lateness, the vast majority - 9.3 million - were due to “other” reasons. These can include things like missing school for family birthdays, shopping trips, car trouble, or most often kids simply taking time off school without their parents’ knowledge or permission. The figures, which were recently published by the Department for Education, show that the rate of unauthorised absence varies widely by school. Which schools have the highest unauthorised absences? The Co-op Academy in Leeds had the highest rate of unauthorised absence in autumn and spring last year, at 14.4% - nearly five times the national average. It was followed by Leeds East Academy (12.3%), The Basildon Upper Academy in Essex (11.5%), Fir Vale Academy in Sheffield (11.4%) and Notre Dame Catholic Academy in Liverpool (11.1%). At the other end of the scale, Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School in Lambeth was the only school in the country to see almost no schooling missed for unauthorised reasons, at just 0.03%. Wilson's School in Sutton also had a particularly low rate (0.1%), as did Loreto Grammar School in Trafford (0.2%), The Camden School for Girls (0.2%), and Kesteven and Sleaford High School Selective Academy in Lincolnshire (0.2%). Schools with fewer than 300 pupils have been excluded from the analysis. A spokesperson for Dixons Academies, which has two schools in the top 20 for unauthorised absences, said: "These figures relate to unauthorised absence, which should not simply be equated with truancy. "We are not satisfied with attendance at either school and there is more to do, but both have improved significantly from very challenging starting points. "At Croxteth, Ofsted found that attendance had improved ‘exceedingly quickly’ and recognised the highly effective work to remove barriers to attendance. "Our staff go to extraordinary lengths to support children and families, and we will keep doing that while building schools where every child feels they belong. "More broadly, we are incredibly proud of the progress being made across our Liverpool schools, with all three in the top 20% nationally for improved attainment this year." Tamsin Poulter, Principal of Oasis Academy Daventry Road, said: "While we recognise there is still significant work to do, we are encouraged by the improvements we’re seeing in attendance compared with last year. "We have strong systems in place and work closely with families to understand and address the often complex barriers to attendance, while maintaining high expectations. Alongside our successful move into our fantastic new school site, these are positive foundations to build on. We remain focused on ensuring every young person feels they belong at school and has the opportunity to thrive." 'Strong link' between deprivation and school absenteeism Research from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) shows that the growing attainment gap among 16-year-olds since 2019 has been entirely driven by higher absence rates among students on free school meals (FSM), leaving them months behind their peers. The report highlighted unauthorised secondary school absences as the main culprit, noting they have a far greater impact on GCSE results than authorised time off, and this has accelerated rapidly since the pandemic. Nationally, secondary school pupils on FSM missed more than three times as much school for unauthorised reasons as those not eligible for the scheme last autumn and spring - 6.0%, compared to 1.7%. Top 20 secondary schools for most unauthorised absence These are the secondary schools with the highest percentage of sessions missed: - Leeds - Co-op Academy Leeds (14.4%) - Leeds - Leeds East Academy (12.3%) - Essex - The Basildon Upper Academy (11.5%) - Sheffield - Fir Vale Academy (11.4%) - Liverpool - Notre Dame Catholic Academy (11.1%) - Salford - Buile Hill Academy (11.0%) - Liverpool - Dixons Croxteth Academy (11.0%) - Bristol, City of - Oasis Academy Daventry Road (11.0%) - Knowsley - Saint Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy (10.9%) - Derby - Alvaston Moor Academy (10.7%) - Bradford - Co-op Academy Grange (10.7%) - Bradford - Hanson Academy (10.7%) - Newcastle upon Tyne - Studio West (10.6%) - Rotherham - Thrybergh Academy (10.6%) - Sunderland - Washington Academy (10.4%) - Tameside - Denton Community Academy (10.3%) - Halton - Blessed Carlo Acutis Catholic and Church of England Academy (10.1%) - Liverpool - Dixons Fazakerley Academy (10.1%) - York - York High School (10.0%) - Bradford - The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy (9.9%) Top 20 schools with least unauthorised absence These schools have the lowest numbers of unauthorised absences: - Lambeth - Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School (0.0%) - Sutton - Wilson's School (0.1%) - Trafford - Loreto Grammar School (0.2%) - Camden - The Camden School for Girls (0.2%) - Southwark - Sacred Heart Catholic School (0.2%) - Lincolnshire - Kesteven and Sleaford High School Selective Academy (0.2%) - Staffordshire - Chesterton Community Sports College (0.2%) - Southend-on-Sea - Southend High School for Boys (0.2%) - Telford and Wrekin - Newport Girls' High School Academy (0.2%) - Sutton - Sutton Grammar School (0.2%) - Buckinghamshire - Dr Challoner's Grammar School (0.2%) - Plymouth - Devonport High School for Boys (0.2%) - Warwickshire - King Edward VI School (0.2%) - Kent - The Skinners' School (0.2%) - Hertfordshire - Dame Alice Owen's School (0.2%) - Warwickshire - Alcester Grammar School (0.2%) - Wiltshire - Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School (0.2%) - Lincolnshire - Spalding Grammar School (0.2%) - Devon - Colyton Grammar School (0.2%) - Barnet - Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet (0.2%)