How much does the national picture hide regional differences?

The national figures show different directions across the measures. Overall absence fell from 6.63 % to 6.60 %, and persistent absence fell from 17.63 % to 17.50 %. Severe absence rose from 2.26 % to 2.32 %.

Regional results do not all match the national direction for overall absence. It decreased in the East Midlands, from 6.53 % to 6.49 %, but increased in the North East, from 6.97 % to 7.10 %, and in Yorkshire and The Humber, from 6.89 % to 6.97 %. Persistent absence followed the same pattern of changes in those areas: it fell in the East Midlands, from 17.05 % to 17.01 %, and rose in the North East, from 18.52 % to 18.95 %, and Yorkshire and The Humber, from 18.62 % to 18.78 %. Severe absence increased in every region listed, including London, from 1.58 % to 1.61 %, and the North West, from 2.21 % to 2.31 %.

These figures describe aggregate changes; they do not show causes or individual pupils’ trajectories. The comparison covers the same autumn and spring terms in the earlier and later academic years, with exact dates displayed separately. Overall absence uses possible sessions, while persistent and severe absence use pupil enrolments. Population composition and attendance recording can change, and suppressed or unavailable values should not be read as zero.

For leaders, useful questions include whether local patterns align with the relevant regional measure, how the measures and denominators differ, and whether local recording or population changes affect comparisons. The figures alone cannot establish why absence changed or what action would be effective.