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Attendance improves marginally after 22% increase in number of parental fines

Unauthorised absence in secondary schools hit 2.9% during the autumn term with persistent absence standing at 22.7% – marginal improvements on the previous year. Meanwhile, the number of parental fines being issued is up 22%.
In school: Despite continuing high levels of persistent absence, attendance in secondary schools during autumn term 2024 improved to 92% - Adobe Stock

The latest attendance figures from the Department for Education (DfE, 2025) show that for the autumn term 2024, attendance in secondary schools was 92% with an 8% absence rate.

Of this, 5.1% of sessions missed were authorised and 2.9% were unauthorised. This compares to the autumn term in 2023 when absence was at 8.1% with 3% unauthorised.

When it comes to persistent absence – students who missed 10% or more of school sessions – this stood at 23.4% in autumn 2023 and has now improved to 22.7% for autumn 2024.

This year the government has raised the fines for non-attendance to £80 (it used to be £60). The new approach means that each parent will only get up to two fines for the same child in a three-year period – but if they get a second fine in three years it will be at £160. If parents do not pay the fine in 28 days they may be taken to court for keeping their child out of school. (DfE, 2024)

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