Pupil absence in schools in England
Academic year 2016/17

Description

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Coverage

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File formats and conventions

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Data files

Absence by characteristic

Filename: absence_by_characteristic.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; Local authority district; National
Time period: 2012/13 to 2016/17
Content summary: -

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                          |  Variable description
-------------------------------------  |  ----------------------------------------------------------------
characteristic                         |  Characteristic - Filter by pupil characteristic
enrolments                             |  Number of pupil enrolments
enrolments_pa_10_exact                 |  Number of persistent absentees
enrolments_pa_10_exact_percent         |  Percentage of persistent absentees
school_type                            |  School type - Filter by school type
sess_auth_appointments                 |  Number of medical appointments sessions
sess_auth_excluded                     |  Number of excluded sessions
sess_auth_ext_holiday                  |  Number of extended authorised holiday sessions
sess_auth_holiday                      |  Number of authorised holiday sessions
sess_auth_illness                      |  Number of illness sessions
sess_auth_other                        |  Number of authorised other sessions
sess_auth_religious                    |  Number of religious observance sessions
sess_auth_study                        |  Number of study leave sessions
sess_auth_totalreasons                 |  Number of authorised reasons sessions
sess_auth_traveller                    |  Number of traveller sessions
sess_authorised                        |  Number of authorised absence sessions
sess_authorised_pa_10_exact            |  Number of authorised absence sessions for persistent absentees
sess_authorised_percent                |  Authorised absence rate
sess_authorised_percent_pa_10_exact    |  Authorised absence rate exact
sess_overall                           |  Number of overall absence sessions
sess_overall_pa_10_exact               |  Number of overall absence sessions for persistent absentees
sess_overall_percent                   |  Overall absence rate
sess_overall_percent_pa_10_exact       |  Overall absence rate exact
sess_overall_totalreasons              |  Number of overall reasons sessions
sess_possible                          |  Number of sessions possible
sess_possible_pa_10_exact              |  Number of sessions possible for persistent absentees
sess_unauth_holiday                    |  Number of unauthorised holiday sessions
sess_unauth_late                       |  Number of late sessions
sess_unauth_noyet                      |  Number of no reason yet sessions
sess_unauth_other                      |  Number of unauthorised other sessions
sess_unauth_totalreasons               |  Number of unauthorised reasons sessions
sess_unauthorised                      |  Number of unauthorised absence sessions
sess_unauthorised_pa_10_exact          |  Number of unauthorised absence sessions for persistent absentees
sess_unauthorised_percent              |  Unauthorised absence rate
sess_unauthorised_percent_pa_10_exact  |  Unauthorised absence rate exact

Footnotes:

1. Absence rates are the number of absence sessions expressed as a percentage of the total number of possible sessions.
2. Pupil enrolments missing 10 percent or more of their own possible sessions (due to authorised or unauthorised absence) are classified as persistent absentees.
3. Social Emotional and Mental Health was added as a new type of need in 2015, the previous type of need Behaviour, Emotional and Social Difficulties has been removed although it is not expected it should be a direct replacement.
4. x - 1 or 2 enrolments, or a percentage based on 1 or 2 enrolments.
5. State-funded secondary schools include city technology colleges and all secondary academies, including all-through academies and free schools.
6. Number of enrolments includes pupils on the school roll for at least one session who are aged between 5 and 15, excluding boarders. Some pupils may be counted more than once (if they moved schools during the academic year or are registered in more than one school).
7. From 2015 SEN support replaced school action and School Action plus but some pupils remain with these provision types. Those who were formerly School Action did not provide type of need in previous years. Those who remain on school action provision are not included here but have been included within the SEN support category in other tables.
8. Special schools include maintained special schools, non-maintained special schools and special academies. Excludes general hospital schools, independent special schools and independent schools approved for SEN pupils.
9. Minority ethnic group includes pupils who have been classified according to their ethnic group, excluding White British.
10. There may be discrepancies between totals and the sum of constituent parts as national and regional totals and totals across school types have been rounded to the nearest 5.
11. See "Guide to absence statistics" for more information on how absence and pupil characteristic data have been linked.
12. The persistent absentee rate is the number of persistent absentees expressed as a percentage of the total number of enrolments.
13. The definition of persistent absence changed from the 2015/16 academic year - The information presented for years prior to 2015/16 has been produced using the same methodology in order to allow users to make comparisons on a consistent basis over time.
14. Figures for pupils with unclassified or missing characteristics information should be interpreted with caution.
15. In September 2014 the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) provisions were introduced in the Children and Families Act 2014. This reform caused changes to SEN categories - Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans were introduced and SEN support replaces school action and school action plus but some pupils remain with these provision types in first year of transition (2014/15).
16. State-funded primary schools include all primary academies, including free schools.


Absence by geographic level

Filename: absence_by_geographic_level.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2006/07 to 2016/17
Content summary: -

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                          |  Variable description
-------------------------------------  |  ----------------------------------------------------------------
enrolments                             |  Number of pupil enrolments
enrolments_pa_10_exact                 |  Number of persistent absentees
enrolments_pa_10_exact_percent         |  Percentage of persistent absentees
num_schools                            |  Number of schools
school_type                            |  School type - Filter by school type
sess_auth_appointments                 |  Number of medical appointments sessions
sess_auth_excluded                     |  Number of excluded sessions
sess_auth_ext_holiday                  |  Number of extended authorised holiday sessions
sess_auth_holiday                      |  Number of authorised holiday sessions
sess_auth_illness                      |  Number of illness sessions
sess_auth_other                        |  Number of authorised other sessions
sess_auth_religious                    |  Number of religious observance sessions
sess_auth_study                        |  Number of study leave sessions
sess_auth_totalreasons                 |  Number of authorised reasons sessions
sess_auth_traveller                    |  Number of traveller sessions
sess_authorised                        |  Number of authorised absence sessions
sess_authorised_pa_10_exact            |  Number of authorised absence sessions for persistent absentees
sess_authorised_percent                |  Authorised absence rate
sess_authorised_percent_pa_10_exact    |  Authorised absence rate
sess_overall                           |  Number of overall absence sessions
sess_overall_pa_10_exact               |  Number of overall absence sessions for persistent absentees
sess_overall_percent                   |  Overall absence rate
sess_overall_percent_pa_10_exact       |  Overall absence rate
sess_overall_totalreasons              |  Number of overall reasons sessions
sess_possible                          |  Number of sessions possible
sess_possible_pa_10_exact              |  Number of sessions possible for persistent absentees
sess_unauth_holiday                    |  Number of unauthorised holiday sessions
sess_unauth_late                       |  Number of late sessions
sess_unauth_noyet                      |  Number of no reason yet sessions
sess_unauth_other                      |  Number of unauthorised other sessions
sess_unauth_totalreasons               |  Number of unauthorised reasons sessions
sess_unauthorised                      |  Number of unauthorised absence sessions
sess_unauthorised_pa_10_exact          |  Number of unauthorised absence sessions for persistent absentees
sess_unauthorised_percent              |  Unauthorised absence rate
sess_unauthorised_percent_pa_10_exact  |  Unauthorised absence rate

Footnotes:

1. Absence rates are the number of absence sessions expressed as a percentage of the total number of possible sessions.
2. Pupil enrolments missing 10 percent or more of their own possible sessions (due to authorised or unauthorised absence) are classified as persistent absentees.
3. x - 1 or 2 enrolments, or a percentage based on 1 or 2 enrolments.
4. State-funded secondary schools include city technology colleges and all secondary academies, including all-through academies and free schools.
5. Number of enrolments includes pupils on the school roll for at least one session who are aged between 5 and 15, excluding boarders. Some pupils may be counted more than once (if they moved schools during the academic year or are registered in more than one school).
6. Special schools include maintained special schools, non-maintained special schools and special academies. Excludes general hospital schools, independent special schools and independent schools approved for SEN pupils.
7. Includes all schools with at least six enrolments who reported absence information via the school census for the associated academic year.
8. There may be discrepancies between totals and the sum of constituent parts as national and regional totals and totals across school types have been rounded to the nearest 5.
9. The persistent absentee rate is the number of persistent absentees expressed as a percentage of the total number of enrolments.
10. The definition of persistent absence changed from the 2015/16 academic year - The information presented for years prior to 2015/16 has been produced using the same methodology in order to allow users to make comparisons on a consistent basis over time.
11. State-funded primary schools include all primary academies, including free schools.


Absence by term

Filename: absence_by_term.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2012/13 to 2016/17
Content summary: -

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name              |  Variable description
-------------------------  |  ----------------------------------------------
school_type                |  School type - Filter by school type
sess_auth_appointments     |  Number of medical appointments sessions
sess_auth_excluded         |  Number of excluded sessions
sess_auth_ext_holiday      |  Number of extended authorised holiday sessions
sess_auth_holiday          |  Number of authorised holiday sessions
sess_auth_illness          |  Number of illness sessions
sess_auth_other            |  Number of authorised other sessions
sess_auth_religious        |  Number of religious observance sessions
sess_auth_study            |  Number of study leave sessions
sess_auth_totalreasons     |  Number of authorised reasons sessions
sess_auth_traveller        |  Number of traveller sessions
sess_authorised            |  Number of authorised absence sessions
sess_authorised_percent    |  Authorised absence rate
sess_overall               |  Number of overall absence sessions
sess_overall_percent       |  Overall absence rate
sess_overall_totalreasons  |  Number of overall reasons sessions
sess_possible              |  Number of sessions possible
sess_unauth_holiday        |  Number of unauthorised holiday sessions
sess_unauth_late           |  Number of late sessions
sess_unauth_noyet          |  Number of no reason yet sessions
sess_unauth_other          |  Number of unauthorised other sessions
sess_unauth_totalreasons   |  Number of unauthorised reasons sessions
sess_unauthorised          |  Number of unauthorised absence sessions
sess_unauthorised_percent  |  Unauthorised absence rate
term                       |  Term - Filter by school term

Footnotes:

1. Absence rates are the number of absence sessions expressed as a percentage of the total number of possible sessions.
2. x - 1 or 2 enrolments, or a percentage based on 1 or 2 enrolments.
3. State-funded secondary schools include city technology colleges and all secondary academies, including all-through academies and free schools.
4. Special schools include maintained special schools, non-maintained special schools and special academies. Excludes general hospital schools, independent special schools and independent schools approved for SEN pupils.
5. There may be discrepancies between totals and the sum of constituent parts as national and regional totals and totals across school types have been rounded to the nearest 5.
6. State-funded primary schools include all primary academies, including free schools.


Absence for four year olds

Filename: absence_for_four_year_olds.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2012/13 to 2016/17
Content summary: -

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name         |  Variable description
--------------------  |  -----------------------------------
enrolments            |  Number of pupil enrolments
num_schools           |  Number of schools
school_type           |  School type - Filter by school type
sess_overall          |  Number of overall absence sessions
sess_overall_percent  |  Overall absence rate
sess_possible         |  Number of sessions possible

Footnotes:

1. Absence rates are the number of absence sessions expressed as a percentage of the total number of possible sessions.
2. Only overall absence is recorded for pupils aged 4, absences are not categorised as authorised or unauthorised.
3. x - 1 or 2 enrolments, or a percentage based on 1 or 2 enrolments.
4. State-funded secondary schools include city technology colleges and all secondary academies, including all-through academies and free schools.
5. Special schools include maintained special schools, non-maintained special schools and special academies. Excludes general hospital schools, independent special schools and independent schools approved for SEN pupils.
6. Includes all schools with at least six enrolments who reported absence information via the school census for the associated academic year.
7. There may be discrepancies between totals and the sum of constituent parts as national and regional totals and totals across school types have been rounded to the nearest 5.
8. Includes pupils on the school roll for at least one session who are aged 4, excluding boarders. Some pupils may be counted more than once (if they moved schools during the academic year or are registered at more than one school).
9. State-funded primary schools include all primary academies, including free schools.


Absence in prus

Filename: absence_in_prus.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2013/14 to 2016/17
Content summary: -

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                   |  Variable description
------------------------------  |  ----------------------------------------------
enrolments                      |  Number of pupil enrolments
enrolments_pa_10_exact          |  Number of persistent absentees
enrolments_pa_10_exact_percent  |  Percentage of persistent absentees
num_schools                     |  Number of schools
sess_auth_appointments          |  Number of medical appointments sessions
sess_auth_excluded              |  Number of excluded sessions
sess_auth_ext_holiday           |  Number of extended authorised holiday sessions
sess_auth_holiday               |  Number of authorised holiday sessions
sess_auth_illness               |  Number of illness sessions
sess_auth_other                 |  Number of authorised other sessions
sess_auth_religious             |  Number of religious observance sessions
sess_auth_study                 |  Number of study leave sessions
sess_auth_totalreasons          |  Number of authorised reasons sessions
sess_auth_traveller             |  Number of traveller sessions
sess_authorised                 |  Number of authorised absence sessions
sess_authorised_percent         |  Authorised absence rate
sess_overall                    |  Number of overall absence sessions
sess_overall_percent            |  Overall absence rate
sess_overall_totalreasons       |  Number of overall reasons sessions
sess_possible                   |  Number of sessions possible
sess_unauth_holiday             |  Number of unauthorised holiday sessions
sess_unauth_late                |  Number of late sessions
sess_unauth_noyet               |  Number of no reason yet sessions
sess_unauth_other               |  Number of unauthorised other sessions
sess_unauth_totalreasons        |  Number of unauthorised reasons sessions
sess_unauthorised               |  Number of unauthorised absence sessions
sess_unauthorised_percent       |  Unauthorised absence rate

Footnotes:

1. Absence rates are the number of absence sessions expressed as a percentage of the total number of possible sessions.
2. Pupil enrolments missing 10 percent or more of their own possible sessions (due to authorised or unauthorised absence) are classified as persistent absentees.
3. x - 1 or 2 enrolments, or a percentage based on 1 or 2 enrolments.
4. Number of enrolments includes pupils on the school roll for at least one session who are aged between 5 and 15, excluding boarders. Some pupils may be counted more than once (if they moved schools during the academic year or are registered in more than one school).
5. Includes all schools with at least six enrolments who reported absence information via the school census for the associated academic year.
6. There may be discrepancies between totals and the sum of constituent parts as national and regional totals and totals across school types have been rounded to the nearest 5.
7. The persistent absentee rate is the number of persistent absentees expressed as a percentage of the total number of enrolments.
8. The definition of persistent absence changed from the 2015/16 academic year - The information presented for years prior to 2015/16 has been produced using the same methodology in order to allow users to make comparisons on a consistent basis over time.


Absence number missing at least one session by reason

Filename: absence_number_missing_at_least_one_session_by_reason.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2012/13 to 2016/17
Content summary: -

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name            |  Variable description
-----------------------  |  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
enrol_auth_appointments  |  Number of enrolments with at least one absence session due to medical or dental appointments
enrol_auth_excluded      |  Number of enrolments with at least one absence session due to exclusion
enrol_auth_ext_holiday   |  Number of enrolments with at least one absence session due to agreed extended family holiday
enrol_auth_holiday       |  Number of enrolments with at least one absence session due to agreed family holiday
enrol_auth_illness       |  Number of enrolments with at least one absence session due to illness
enrol_auth_other         |  Number of enrolments with at least one absence session due to other authorised circumstances
enrol_auth_religious     |  Number of enrolments with at least one absence session due to religious observance
enrol_auth_study         |  Number of enrolments with at least one absence session due to study leave
enrol_auth_traveller     |  Number of enrolments with at least one absence session due to traveller absence
enrol_authorised         |  Number of enrolments with at least one authorised absence session
enrol_overall            |  Number of enrolments with at least one overall absence session
enrol_unauth_holiday     |  Number of enrolments with at least one absence session due to family holiday not agreed
enrol_unauth_late        |  Number of enrolments with at least one absence session due to arriving late
enrol_unauth_noyet       |  Number of enrolments with at least one absence session due to no reason yet
enrol_unauth_other       |  Number of enrolments with at least one absence session due to other unauthorised circumstances
enrol_unauthorised       |  Number of enrolments with at least one unauthorised absence session
enrolments               |  Number of pupil enrolments
school_type              |  School type - Filter by school type

Footnotes:

1. The number of enrolments with one or more session of absence for specific reason.
2. x - 1 or 2 enrolments, or a percentage based on 1 or 2 enrolments.
3. State-funded secondary schools include city technology colleges and all secondary academies, including all-through academies and free schools.
4. Number of enrolments includes pupils on the school roll for at least one session who are aged between 5 and 15, excluding boarders. Some pupils may be counted more than once (if they moved schools during the academic year or are registered in more than one school).
5. Special schools include maintained special schools, non-maintained special schools and special academies. Excludes general hospital schools, independent special schools and independent schools approved for SEN pupils.
6. There may be discrepancies between totals and the sum of constituent parts as national and regional totals and totals across school types have been rounded to the nearest 5.
7. State-funded primary schools include all primary academies, including free schools.


Absence rate percent bands

Filename: absence_rate_percent_bands.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2012/13 to 2016/17
Content summary: -

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                    |  Variable description
-------------------------------  |  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
enrolments_authorised            |  Number of all pupil enrolments that fall into that per cent band for authorised absence
enrolments_authorised_percent    |  Percentage of all pupil enrolments that fall into that per cent band for authorised absence
enrolments_overall               |  Number of all pupil enrolments that fall into that per cent band for overall absence
enrolments_overall_percent       |  Percentage of all pupil enrolments that fall into that per cent band for overall absence
enrolments_unauthorised          |  Number of all pupil enrolments that fall into that per cent band for unauthorised absence
enrolments_unauthorised_percent  |  Percentage of all pupil enrolments that fall into that per cent band for unauthorised absence
percent_bands                    |  Absence percentage band - Filter by percentage of absence
school_type                      |  School type - Filter by school type

Footnotes:

1. The number of sessions missed in each band expressed as a percentage of the total number of sessions missed for that category of absence overall.
2. x - 1 or 2 enrolments, or a percentage based on 1 or 2 enrolments.
3. State-funded secondary schools include city technology colleges and all secondary academies, including all-through academies and free schools.
4. Special schools include maintained special schools, non-maintained special schools and special academies. Excludes general hospital schools, independent special schools and independent schools approved for SEN pupils.
5. There may be discrepancies between totals and the sum of constituent parts as national and regional totals and totals across school types have been rounded to the nearest 5.
6. State-funded primary schools include all primary academies, including free schools.
