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Attendance register: requirements and guidance

Be clear on the rules for registering pupil attendance and absence, so you can make sure your school is compliant. Find guidance on when to close the register, and see what approaches other schools take.

Last reviewed on 24 October 2025See updates
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 3590
Contents
  1. You must have an electronic register
  2. Take the register twice a day and set when it will close
  3. Record attendance using the DfE's codes
  4. Follow up on absences
  5. Keep all registers for at least 6 years 

You must have an electronic register

All schools, except boarding-only schools, are required to have an attendance register. You must include all pupils, regardless of their age, on this register.

In a boarding school, if you have any day-pupils, you must keep an attendance register for them. However, there's no requirement to do so for your boarding pupils.

The statutory requirements for the register are set out in the guidance on working together to improve attendance and legislation, which we refer to throughout this article. 

Use an electronic management information system (MIS) to keep your attendance register

This expectation is set out in paragraph 35 of the attendance guidance.

Your MIS can also help you analyse your attendance and absence data. In a modern MIS such as Arbor, you'll be