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A sharp rise in the number of pupils missing more than half of their school time has been highlighted in new figures published by the Department for Education and analysed by the Centre for Social Justice.
The data shows that 176,361 pupils in England were classified as severely absent (defined as missing over 50% of classes) during the 2024/25 academic year representing a threefold increase since 2018/19. Researchers described the trend as a growing crisis among the most vulnerable children.
In contrast, rates of persistent absence (defined as missing more than 10% of school sessions) fell by 10% compared with the previous year. However, 1.34 million pupils, equivalent to around one in five, were still persistently absent in 2024/25, a figure that remains 74% higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Overall, the analysis estimates that 89 million school days were missed last year, 29 million more than in 2018/19. The report warns that this level of absence could have significant long-term consequences, including reduced lifetime earnings for affected pupils.
Polling cited in the report suggests a shift in parental attitudes toward attendance, with around half of parents saying it is reasonable for a child to miss one in every ten school days. The Centre for Social Justice argues that this reflects a weakening link in public perception between education and future employment prospects.
The report identifies three primary drivers behind rising absence: a breakdown in trust between schools and families, declining confidence in the value of education, and increasing levels of family instability. It also highlights concerns among school leaders, with many reporting incidents of parental hostility or abuse.
Daniel Lilley, Head of Youth at the Centre for Social Justice, said that while progress has been made in reducing overall absence, the increase in severe absence represents a more complex and entrenched problem. He warned that many vulnerable pupils are now missing more school than they attend.
The think tank has proposed a series of measures aimed at tackling the issue, including mandatory attendance awareness courses for parents of persistently absent children, expanded use of attendance mentors, and increased access to extracurricular activities to improve engagement with school.
Additional recommendations include strengthening family support through initiatives such as family hubs, improving teacher training on parental engagement, and expanding work experience opportunities to reinforce the connection between education and employment.
The Department for Education has previously identified school attendance as a priority area, but the latest figures suggest that while some improvements are being made, significant challenges remain, particularly for those children at greatest risk of disengaging from education entirely.
