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February 4 marked last day of school for severely absent students

Attendance Vulnerable children
Tuesday, February 4, was the last day of the school year for 158,000 children and young people who are classified as severely absent.
Missing education: Within secondary schools, 3.5% of students are severely absent, meaning they miss 50% of their lessons – this is an increase from 1.2% in 2018/19 - Adobe Stock

The date has been designated School Attendance Gap Day as part of a new campaign launched by the charity School-Home Support.

Severely absent students are those who miss at least 50% of their school sessions, meaning February 4 – the halfway point of the academic year – is their de facto last day of school.

The most recent official data on severe absence (DfE, 2024) shows that 2.1% of students across primary, secondary and special schools are severely absent, equating to 158,000 (as measured over the autumn 2023 and spring 2024 terms). This figure is up from 0.8% in 2018/19 (around 60,000 students).

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