Thousands of children are still missing from school in Wales with absence continuing to be a major problem as the third full academic year without any Covid restrictions begins next week. Despite efforts to tackle higher than pre-pandemic absence the figures barely budged last academic year and even rose slightly among secondary pupils.
Around six in 10 absences in the academic year September 2023 to July 2024 were for agreed reasons such as illness but the rest were not unauthorised by schools. This includes more than 13% of half day school sessions skipped for family holiday that was not agreed or extended beyond that agreed.
The latest Welsh Government data released ahead of the new school year shows that around one in 10 half day school sessions were missed at maintained schools overall in the last academic year with those from lower income families, secondary age children and those in key exam years most likely to be off. Attendance has plunged from 94.3% in 2018-19, the last pre pandemic year, to 89% in the last academic year ending in July 2024. Join our WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone.
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Pupils eligible for free school meals missed more than one in 10 half day school sessions with repeated research showing lower attainment affects future life chances, health and income. Headteachers have warned that some pupils from all backgrounds are now out of the habit of coming to lessons and they're struggling to get them back years after the last Covid classrooms closures.
There are around 385,000 pupils aged 5 to 15 from reception to year 11 in maintained schools in Wales but the data now measures absence in the number of half day sessions missed rather than per pupil not in lessons. Education Minister Lynne Neagle, who heads a Wales-wide task force to tackle the issue, has said she will make a statement on attainment and absence in the autumn.
Ms Neagle indicated she believes family engagement officers are key to persuading reluctant children back. Speaking after GCSE results came in last week said: “We have seen some improvement (on school attendance), but there is a lot more work to do. Attendance is a huge issue. Some persistent absence rates are high, especially for pupils eligible for free school meals.”
Ms Neagle said she wanted the taskforce to take action and not become a talking shop. You can read more about the minister's comments on absence and attainment here
Fines for non-attendance have been re-introduced but remain controversial. While hundreds of parents have been fined for not sending their children to school some headteachers say fines don’t work and more resources are needed to tackle social and mental health problems that keep children off school. You can read about parents who were fined here.
Average school absence for 2023-2024 academic year at a glance
Attendance for the academic year: 89.0%, up very slightly from 88.5% over the same period in the 2022-23 academic year.
Primary school attendance: 92.1%, up from 91.5% over the same period in the 2022-23 academic year.
Secondary school attendance: 85.5%, down slightly from 85.6% over the same period in the 2022/23 academic year.
Average percentage of sessions of absence by year group for the academic year 2023-24
Year 1 - 5.6%
Year 2 - 5.5%
Year 3 - 3 5.2%
Year 4 - 5.2%
Year 5 - 5.4%
Year 6 - 6 5.7%
Year 7 - 3.8%
Year 8 - 7.7%
Year 9 - 9 8.7%
Year 10 - 9.3%
Year 11 - 10.3%
Percentage of half day sessions missed due to absence, weekly averages, by reason for absence, Average for the 2023/24 academic year to date
Authorised absence:
Illness 30.6%
Agreed family holiday 9.5%
Excluded, but no alternative provision made 1%
Total authorised absence 57.5%
Unauthorised absence:
Family holiday (not agreed or sessions in excess of agreement) 13.7%
Late (arrived after the register closed) 1.2%
Other unauthorised 18.7%
No reason for the absence provided yet 8.9%
Total unauthorised absence 42.5%
Average attendance of pupils aged 5 to 15 eligible for free school meals for the academic year 2023-24
Percentage of sessions present 89.7%
Percentage of sessions of absence 10.3%
Percentage of sessions of authorised absence 5.3%%
Number of sessions of unauthorised absence 7,086
Percentage of sessions of unauthorised absence 5.1%
Number of sessions of absence 14,470
How attendance has plunged in the last few years
All pupils
2014/15 94.5%
2015/16 94.6%
2016/17 94.6%
2017/18 94.3%
2018/19 94.3%
2020/21 90.6%
2021/22 89.8%
2022/23 88.5%
Attendance for boys and girls is almost the same, but it is lower for those of all genders eligible for free school meals and attendance for this group has also plunged since pre-Covid.
Attendance of pupils in maintained schools aged 5 to 15 by free school meal eligibility over the years
2014/15 91.8%
2015/16 91.8%
2016/17 91.7%
2017/18 91.3%
2018/19 91.2%
2020/21 84.7%
2021/22 84.5%
2022/23 83.1%
