Many say absence is due to England’s mainstream schools being unable to meet needs of neurodivergent pupils

• Anna Maxwell Martin calls for end to ‘cruel, idiotic’ fines for school absence

• Record 170,000 children missed at least half of classes in 2024

The latest figures from the Department for Education suggest school absence is at a record high in England, with more than 170,000 children being “severely absent” and missing for at least half their lessons last year.

In 2023-24, the number of those who were “persistently absent” and missed 10% or more of their school sessions, was about 1.49 million, which is about one in five pupils. However, the overall absence rate decreased from 7.4% the previous year to 7.1%.