How to monitor and tackle internal truancy

Understand what internal truancy is and how to address the issue at a whole-school level. Find tips on creating a welcoming classroom environment, monitoring incidents and using sanctions.

Updated

on 15 October 2026See updates

School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 49893

Contents

Internal truancy is when pupils are in school but not in class
Set strong expectations for staff and pupils
Put in place clear boundaries about leaving lessons
Make classrooms a safe and welcoming space
Have clear and timely communication systems in place
Keep records of incidents and monitor hotspots
Track incidents to respond to wider patterns
Understand and respond to the reasons behind truancy
Put in place targeted support
Use sanctions as a tool to return pupils to the classroom

Internal truancy is when pupils are in school but not in class

If a pupil is in school but misses a lesson, this may not be visible in the school's statutory morning and afternoon attendance data. For example, a pupil could attend both registration sessions but miss one or more lessons during the day. You can use lesson-attendance data to identify and respond to this – read more about this later in the article.

Internal truancy is a safeguarding concern as you can’t supervise pupils if you don’t know where they are. It can also indicate underlying issues, such as anxiety or mental health concerns.

Internal truancy also means that a pupil is missing out on learning and potentially falling behind – this can make it even more likely that they’ll truant again.

Tackle the issue head on by establishing a culture in your

Internal truancy is when pupils are in school but not in class

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