Attendance: national, LA and school data

Compare your school's attendance data to others locally and nationally, using our summary of the data and templates. Learn how the data is collected and how to make your own data tables using the DfE website.

Last reviewed on 22 March 2023
See updates
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 7329
Contents
  1. National data
  2. Create your own data tables from the DfE website
  3. Find your school's data
  4. Use our templates to compare your absence data with LA and national rates
  5. How and when data is collected

National data

The figures express the amount of missed half-day sessions as a percentage of all possible half-day sessions. 

Primary schools 2017/18 2018/19 2020/21 2021/22 all terms 2021/22 Autumn 2021/22 Spring 2021/22 Summer
Overall absence  4.2 4.0 3.6 6.3 5.7 6.7 6.4
Unauthorised absence 1.1 1.1 0.9 1.5 1.2 1.2 2.1
Secondary schools 2017/18 2018/19 2020/21  2021/22 all terms 2021/22 Autumn 2021/22 Spring 2021/22 Summer
Overall absence 5.5 5.5 5.5 9.0 8.2 9.2 9.8
Unauthorised absence 1.6 1.8 1.6 2.8 2.1 2.7 3.8
Special schools 2017/18 2018/19 2020/21 2021/22 all terms 2021/22 Autumn 2021/22 Spring 2021/22 Summer
Overall absence 10.2 10.1 15.2 13.2 12.8 13.7 13.2
Unauthorised absence 2.2 2.3 2.1

2.9

 2.5 2.8 3.3
All schools 2017/18 2018/19 2020/21  2021/22 all terms 2021/22 Autumn 2021/22 Spring 2021/22 Summer
Overall absence 4.8 4.7 4.6 7.6 6.9 7.9 8.0
Unauthorised absence 1.4 1.4 1.3 2.1 1.6 1.9 2.9

Note: 

  • The absence rates do include absence due to confirmed cases of COVID-19
  • The rates do not include absence due to coronavirus-related reasons (see 'not attending in circumstances related to COVID-19' below)
  • The DfE didn't release any data in 2019/20 due to the pandemic

The data above is taken from:

Not attending in

Read next

Also in "Absence data and expectations"