Pupils: Absenteeism
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of school days lost each year due to pupils being absent on their birthday; and whether she plans to issue guidance to schools and local authorities on that issue.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
In 2024/25, around 100,000 days in school were lost due to pupils being absent on their birthday, with pupils being up to 55% more likely to be absent.
In June, we updated our attendance toolkit for schools, providing practical guidance and case studies to improve attendance on key days. The toolkit is available here: https://attendancetoolkit.blob.core.windows.net/toolkit-doc/Attendance%20toolkit%20for%20schools.pdf?es_c=*CPID*&es_cl=BA5C16D28AEB542A85E31FBF1DD655FF&es_id=ph7%C2%A322#page=48.
We also launched a new guide for schools on communicating with parents about attendance, equipping schools with ready-to-use phone scripts, letters, text templates and clear advice on how and when to engage parents effectively on attendance. The guide is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/communicating-with-parents-about-school-attendance.
Schools can help address this issue by fostering a strong sense of belonging. Simple steps, such as acknowledging birthdays during the school day, can make pupils feel valued. Small gestures can also positively reinforce attendance on birthdays, as part of wider efforts to build strong relationships and create engaging school environments.
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