One in five Suffolk pupils persistently absent last year in truancy "epidemic"

The big picture: In the 2019-20 autumn term, before the COVID-19 pandemic, 13.1% of pupils missed at least 10% of school sessions. Last year, this jumped to 19.5%—a near 50% rise in the number of children persistently absent.

Meanwhile:

• The proportion of children missing at least half of school sessions has more than doubled, from 0.9% to 2%.

• Suspension rates have more than doubled from 3.8 to 9.3 per 100 pupils.

Suffolk's figures often exceed the national averages:

• Persistent absence rates in Suffolk increased from 11.9% to 20.4% – a 71.4% increase from before the COVID-19 pandemic and 4.6% higher than the national average.

• 2.3% of Suffolk pupils missed half or more of school sessions last autumn – 15% higher than the national average.

• Suspensions in Suffolk nearly doubled to 10.7 per 100 pupils – 15.1% higher than the national average.

• Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths attainment in Suffolk fell from 62% to 56%, compared to a national drop from 65% to 60%.

Understanding the data: A pupil is identified as a persistent absentee if they miss 10% or more of their possible sessions.

Why it matters: The pandemic disrupted education nationally, but Suffolk appears to have been more affected than other parts of the country. Understanding these challenges is crucial for parents, educators, and policymakers.

What they're saying: James Bowen, NAHT assistant general secretary, said: "It's vital children attend school whenever possible ­– pupils can easily miss crucial steps in their learning if they're absent."

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson labelled high truancy rates an "epidemic" and warned she will make no "apologies" for fining parents with frequently absent children.

Kiran Gill, IPPR associate fellow, said: "We should all be worried about the social injustice that the most marginalised children – who already have the biggest barriers to opportunity outside of school – are those most likely to be not in classrooms through absence, suspension and exclusion."

The other side: The Department for Education says it has made nearly £5bn available since 2020 for education recovery initiatives and is supporting disadvantaged pupils through the pupil premium, rising to £2.9bn in 2024-25.

What's next: The government says it is developing an "ambitious strategy" to reduce child poverty and address root causes of poor behaviour in schools.

Sources

• Pupil absence in schools in England

• Key stage 2 attainment

• Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England