Record numbers of pupil absences in England, DfE figures show

Number of severely absent children was 150% higher last year than pre-Covid, with one in 50 children missing at least half of lessons

Record numbers of pupils in England were absent for long periods last year, with one in 50 missing at least half of their lessons, according to official data showing absences remain far higher than pre-Covid levels.

The updated Department for Education figures show 150,000 children at state schools were classed as severely absent in 2022-23 – 30,000 more than the year before and 150% higher than the 60,000 who were severely absent in 2018-19, before the pandemic.