Number of pupils off school around Christmas rises despite new rules

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Data from the Department for Education shows the unauthorised absence rate across state schools in England was 3.4% in the week ending December 20 – which was the last week of term. The latest data also shows the overall absence rate – authorised and unauthorised – was 9.5% in the week ending December 20, which was “the highest absence rate” of the autumn term in 2024. “Schools are moving heaven and earth to improve attendance rates but they do need more support from the Government in terms of investment in the wider infrastructure of family and child support services which are vital in dealing with some of the issues that affect school attendance.” The figures are difficult to compare with the equivalent period the year before as there is only national attendance data available for the week ending December 15 in 2023, which was not the last week of term for many pupils. “Measures announced in the new Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, such as free breakfast clubs and a register of children not in school, will help – but we also need the Government to reinvest in crucial services which support families and schools and have faced huge cuts under previous administrations.” A DfE spokesperson said: “Our mission is to break down barriers to opportunity so every child can achieve and thrive.