NEWS: Disadvantaged Pupils Missing School More

As reported by The Independent, new stats show free school meal kids in the North are skipping class far more than their peers, sparking fresh worries about growing education gaps

New data from the Department for Education (DfE) shows that secondary school pupils receiving free school meals are more than three times more likely to be absent without authorisation compared to their peers across most of England.

The figures reveal stark regional differences, with Yorkshire and the Humber recording the highest unauthorised absence rate among disadvantaged students at 7.5% last term. In the North East, this was 7.3%, and in the North West, 6.5%. By contrast, the rate was significantly lower in London (4.2%) and the West Midlands (5.4%).

For students not eligible for free school meals, the numbers were much lower—just 2% in the North East, 1.8% in the North West, and 2.1% in Yorkshire, compared to 1.7% in London.

The findings have raised fresh concerns about a “crisis of absenteeism” in schools, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Experts predict that school absence rates will remain above pre-pandemic levels until the students who began secondary school during the pandemic have moved on.

Russell Hobby, chief executive of Teach First, warned that the figures highlight deep inequalities in education: “Once again, we see that pupils from the poorest backgrounds, especially in the North of England, are the most likely to miss school.”