Third of 15-year-olds persistently absent from school in England since September

Attendance rates remain lower than before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, research finds

A third of 15-year-olds have been persistently absent from classrooms in England during the current school year, according to research that shows absence rates remain stubbornly higher than before the coronavirus pandemic.

The analysis of attendance rates at more than 7,000 state schools in England found that 14- and 15-year-olds – pupils in years 9 and 10 – have been worst affected, closely followed by those in year 11.