# What are persistent and severe absence, and why do they matter for safeguarding? Source page: https://pupilprotect.co.uk/glossary/persistent-absence Last updated: 2026-10-20 Publisher: Pupil Protect (Glacier Labs Ltd) > A pupil is persistently absent when they miss 10% or more of school, which is about one day a fortnight across a full school year. They are severely absent when they miss 50% or more, meaning they are absent more than they are present. Both are a safeguarding matter as well as an attendance one, because absence can be a warning sign of neglect, abuse or exploitation, and schools are expected to put more support in place, with the local authority, as absence gets worse. ## The definitions The DfE's statutory guidance, Working together to improve school attendance, defines two levels of serious absence (chapter 5): - **Persistent absence:** missing 10% or more of school. That is "equivalent to 1 day or more a fortnight across a full school year" (paragraph 134). - **Severe absence:** missing 50% or more of school, so the pupil is absent more than they are present (paragraph 135). Both are measured against the sessions a pupil could have attended. Schools take the attendance register at the start of each morning session and once during each afternoon session (paragraph 32), so a school day is two sessions. ## Why absence is a safeguarding issue Keeping children safe in education 2026 is clear that absence is not only an attendance matter. Children being absent from education "for prolonged periods and/or on repeat occasions can act as a vital warning sign to a range of safeguarding issues including neglect, child sexual and child criminal exploitation - particularly county lines" (paragraph 221). Annex A adds mental health problems, substance misuse, female genital mutilation, forced marriage and 'honour'-based abuse to the risks absence may point to. KCSIE also says the school's response to persistently absent pupils and children missing education should help identify abuse and help stop absent pupils becoming children missing education in the future. Being absent can increase known risks for a child who already has a social worker. Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 says being in school "is a protective factor against wider harms, including exploitation", and that not receiving education could be a sign of neglect, abuse or exploitation, "or could in itself constitute neglect in severe and sustained cases" (paragraph 128). It lists being persistently absent among the reasons a child may need Family Help (paragraph 141). The attendance guidance goes further for severe absence. If every avenue of support has been offered and the right educational support is in place, but severe absence for unauthorised reasons continues, "it is likely to constitute neglect" (paragraph 136). Schools and local authorities should then be especially alert to safeguarding issues and, where they remain, carry out a full children's social care assessment. ## Children missing education Children missing education are children of compulsory school age who are not registered at a school and are not receiving a suitable education otherwise, according to the DfE's Children missing education guidance. A pupil who stops attending can become one if their name comes off the register without anyone knowing where they are. That is why there are rules before a name is deleted. For example, where a pupil hasn't come back within 10 school days of the end of a leave of absence, the school and local authority must first make joint reasonable enquiries to find out where the child is and agree there are no reasonable grounds to think they will return (attendance guidance, paragraph 252). ## What schools must and should do Working together to improve school attendance sets out expectations for all schools. The main ones are: - **A senior attendance champion** on the leadership team, named in the attendance policy, with overall responsibility for improving attendance (paragraphs 23 and 24). - **A written attendance policy**, published on the school website, including the school's strategy for reducing persistent and severe absence (paragraphs 24 and 27). - **Day-to-day follow-up.** Contact parents on the first day of absence if no reason has been given, and make further contact to ensure safeguarding if absence continues without explanation. Enter the correct code for an unexplained absence as soon as the reason is known, and no later than 5 working days after the session (paragraph 42). - **Regular data analysis**, at least weekly, at pupil, cohort and year group level, shared with leaders including the DSL (paragraph 44). - **Meetings with families.** Meet pupils at risk of persistent or severe absence and their parents to understand the barriers and agree actions (paragraph 17), and hold regular meetings with parents of pupils who are persistently or severely absent (paragraph 42). - **Telling the social worker.** Tell a pupil's social worker or youth offending team worker about unexplained absences (paragraph 52). Schools are also legally required to share register information with the local authority (paragraph 48): - **New pupil and deletion returns** when a pupil joins or leaves outside standard transition times. - **Attendance returns** naming pupils who fail to attend regularly or have been absent for 10 school days in a row with unauthorised absence codes (G, N, O or U), at least once a month. - **Sickness returns** for pupils expected to miss 15 days or more, in a row or in total, through illness. State-funded schools must also share pupil attendance data with the DfE on request. Sharing it automatically from the school's management information system meets this (paragraph 51). ## When mental health is the barrier Anxiety and other mental health needs are a common reason for persistent absence. Working together to improve school attendance (2026) separates two situations: - **Normal but difficult emotions.** Worries about friendships, schoolwork, exams or variable moods don't remove the expectation to attend. The guidance says attending may help with the underlying issue, while a long absence "may heighten anxious feelings about attending in future" (paragraph 54). Staff should explain this to parents and work with families to ease anxious feelings in school (paragraph 55). - **Long-term mental health conditions.** These are a more complex barrier. The attendance ambition is the same as for any other pupil, but more support may be needed (paragraph 56). Staff aren't expected to diagnose or treat mental health conditions. Under paragraph 58 they should: - put pastoral support in place, with the clear aim of improving attendance while supporting the underlying issue - consider adjustments to practice and policy, agreed and reviewed regularly with the pupil and parents, plus formal reasonable adjustments under section 20 of the Equality Act 2010 where the pupil is disabled - consider a time-limited phased return - make a sickness return to the local authority if the pupil is likely to miss 15 school days or more through illness Paragraph 60 adds using school nursing and Mental Health Support Teams where available, and referring to children and young people's mental health services, GPs or the local authority where needed. **Recording.** Absence because a pupil is too ill to attend, physically or mentally, is recorded as code I, which counts as authorised absence (paragraphs 373 and 376). Schools shouldn't routinely ask for medical evidence or have blanket rules requiring it, but may ask for reasonable evidence for long or repeated patterns, so they can understand the pupil's needs (paragraphs 374 and 375). **DfE support.** For practical detail, the attendance guidance points to the DfE's non-statutory guidance, Mental health issues affecting a pupil's attendance (February 2023), which has a summary of responsibilities and effective practice examples (paragraph 55). It applies to any social, emotional or mental health issue affecting attendance, not only a diagnosed condition. Its examples of support include a trusted adult who checks in, a quiet space at break times, and catch-up support for pupils worried about falling behind. It says any plan should be agreed with parents in advance, have regular review points and aim to maximise time in school. **Safeguarding.** Mental health problems are among the risks absence can point to (KCSIE 2026, Annex A). Where parents themselves are struggling, the DfE guidance says whole-family or early help support may be needed. If the DSL has concerns about the child's welfare, follow the usual child protection route. See [suicide and self-harm in schools](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/guides/suicide-and-self-harm-in-schools) where there is risk of harm. ## Support first, then formal steps The guidance expects support to grow as absence does. Severely absent pupils should be the top priority for all partners (paragraph 135). Where voluntary support hasn't worked, schools work with the local authority on formal support such as an attendance contract or education supervision order. Statutory children's social care should be involved where there are safeguarding concerns, "especially where absence becomes severe (below 50% attendance)" (paragraph 19). Penalty notices and prosecution are for when other routes have failed or aren't appropriate. ## Questions **What percentage is persistent absence?** A pupil is persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school. Across a full school year that is about one day a fortnight. In attendance terms, that means attendance of 90% or less. **What is severe absence?** Severe absence is missing 50% or more of school, so the pupil is absent more than they are present. The DfE says severely absent pupils should be the top priority for support across all partners. **Is persistent absence a safeguarding concern?** It can be. Keeping children safe in education 2026 says children being absent for prolonged periods or on repeat occasions can be a vital warning sign of neglect, sexual abuse and criminal exploitation, including county lines. The DSL should consider absence alongside everything else known about the child. **When can severe absence count as neglect?** The attendance guidance says that if all support has been offered and the right educational support is in place, but severe absence for unauthorised reasons continues, it is likely to constitute neglect. Schools and local authorities should then be especially alert to safeguarding issues and, where they remain, carry out a full children's social care assessment. **Is mental health an authorised absence from school?** Yes, when the pupil is too unwell to attend. Working together to improve school attendance says code I covers illness that is both physical and mental health related, and code I counts as authorised absence. Schools shouldn't routinely ask for medical evidence, but a pupil who is anxious about school but well enough to attend is still expected to attend, with support to ease the barrier. **What must a school tell the local authority about absence?** As a minimum, schools must tell the local authority when a pupil is added to or deleted from the admission register outside standard transition times, give the names and addresses of pupils who fail to attend regularly or have been absent for 10 school days in a row with unauthorised absence codes, and report pupils expected to miss 15 days or more through illness. ## Sources - [Working together to improve school attendance (DfE statutory guidance, 2026 edition): paragraphs 54 to 64 on mental and physical health barriers, and 373 to 376 on code I](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a4f9ec6a6586e258d371bd0/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance_2026.pdf), checked 2026-10-20 - [Working together to improve school attendance, guidance page (GOV.UK, updated 9 July 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance) - [Keeping children safe in education 2026, paragraph 221 and Annex A (DfE, in force from 1 September 2026)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ac3c09c11ed58342ad8e4ac/Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2026.pdf) - [Children missing education, statutory guidance for local authorities and schools (DfE, updated 8 September 2025)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-missing-education/children-missing-education-statutory-guidance-for-local-authorities-and-schools) - [Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026, paragraphs 128 and 141 (DfE)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69fb1c28d0e316a40f269a5b/Working_together_to_safeguard_children_2026_a_guide_to_multi_agency_working.pdf) - [Mental health issues affecting a pupil's attendance: guidance for schools (DfE, non-statutory, February 2023), including the summary of responsibilities and effective practice examples](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-issues-affecting-a-pupils-attendance-guidance-for-schools), checked 2026-10-20 ## Related - [Attendance calculator](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/tools/attendance-calculator): Work out a pupil's attendance and whether it counts as persistent or severe absence. - [Attendance in Pupil Protect Safeguard](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/safeguard#attendance) - [What is the difference between child in need and child protection?](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/glossary/cin) ## In Pupil Protect Pupil Protect Safeguard keeps attendance from your MIS on each child's chronology. It flags persistent absence, severe absence, a sudden drop, a pattern such as the same weekday, and 10 school days in a row of unexplained absence to the DSL team, next to any concerns about the child. [See attendance in Safeguard](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/safeguard#attendance)