This is a new Statistical First Release reporting on absence in maintained secondary schools, city technology colleges and academies during 2005/06. It is based on pupil level absence data collected for the first time via the Schools' Census. This release provides information on the levels of absence (authorised, unauthorised and overall) by type of school; absence rates by pupil characteristics (such as gender, free school meal eligibility, ethnic group and special educational needs); the percentage of pupils by number of days absence; as well as summary statistics on persistent absentees (the percentage of absence these pupils account for, their characteristics; and the number of schools where the percentage of persistent absentees falls within certain ranges.
National findings are presented in the SFR. Information at Government Office Region and Local Authority Level will be released at a later date.
Information on pupil absence in schools in England during 2005/06 has already been published in SFR35/2006 in September 2006. This release is based on a different data source and is not directly comparable with figures presented here.
Contact details
Andrew Clarke - Schools Statistical Team
Telephone: 01325 735478
Email: schools.statistics@education.gsi.gov.uk
