Impetus Insights - October 2025
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For young people on Free School Meals, the pace is even slower, with absence rates unlikely to return to their pre-pandemic levels until 2031.
LONDON – Today’s autumn and spring term pupil absence statistics show that persistent school absence in England remains stubbornly high, with 17.63% of pupils missing at least 10% of school – significantly above the already too high pre-pandemic level of 10.9%. At the current rate of improvement, it will take over 4 years for persistent absence to return to pre-pandemic levels, Impetus’ analysis reveals.
In the meantime, this prolonged crisis risks hundreds of thousands of pupils missing out on crucial qualifications and learning, jeopardising their futures. Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are disproportionately affected, with higher rates of persistent absence and slower rates of improvement post-pandemic:
- Over 17% of pupils were persistently absent from school last year, but for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, that rate rises to 31.03%.
- Severe absence – where a pupil misses more than 50% of school – is on the rise. Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are nearly 4 times more likely to be severely absent from school.
Previous Impetus analysis has quantified the lifelong consequences of persistent absence: low attendance reduces GCSE pass rates by 40 percentage points, which doubles the likelihood of young people ending up not in education, employment, or training (NEET).
Susannah Hardyman MBE, CEO of Impetus, said:
“While it is encouraging to see absence rates moving in the right direction, the children in school today cannot afford to wait – by the time we return to pre-pandemic levels, they will have already endured nearly a decade of damage since the start of the pandemic. School attendance is foundational for future success, and its decline has become the key driver behind some of England’s most pernicious challenges, from stagnating attainment to high rates of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET).
Our research found fundamental shifts in attitudes since the pandemic: going to school is no longer the default, but a daily choice shaped by a young person's mood, circumstances, and competing priorities, including exhaustion and mental health. Many of the young people we spoke to described school as a means to an end – something to be endured, rather than a meaningful experience in itself.
Tackling this new reality requires innovative, evidence-based solutions. The Government must evaluate whether current measures – including absence fines and attendance and behaviour hubs – are effective, and be prepared to explore new approaches. This must begin with efforts to rebuild the social contract between, schools, parents, and pupils by creating school environments that work for young people, fostering trust, connection, and choice, rather than simply operating on them.”
