Children who are not considered “school ready” are more than twice as likely to become persistently absent at some point in their education, according to a new study
Researchers at Leeds University analysed data for 62,598 children aged 5-13 from across the Bradford district and compared it with school absence records between the academic years 2012/2013 and 2019/2020 to identify associations between early childhood problems and absenteeism.
The team from the School of Psychology and the Born in Bradford Centre for Applied Education Research found that 67% of all persistent absentees with attendance below 90% were considered “not school ready” when they entered reception. This contrasted with only 37% of children “not school ready” who were not persistently absent.
The researchers believe their findings, which are published today in the Royal Society Open Science Journal, show that the seeds of absenteeism are sown early in childhood and that school readiness measures already used by teachers could identify children at risk of long-term disengagement from the education system.
Lead author Dr Megan Wood, a post-doctoral research fellow in the School of Psychology, said: “School is where children develop and flourish, academically, emotionally, socially, and physically.
“However, as a society, we are edging towards a school absence epidemic, with many pupils missing out on opportunities to thrive by not attending every day. This has worsened dramatically since the pandemic.”
In the UK, absenteeism is a major concern for school leaders and policymakers, with data from the 2022/23 autumn term showing that nearly a quarter of all pupils missed at least 39 half-day sessions. According to the UK’s Department for Education, this means they are considered a “persistent absentee” with attendance below 90%.
The number of children classified as being “persistently absent” has risen over time, particularly between 2017-18 and 2020-21, with the more recent figures attributed to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. These figures have led to a formal inquiry by the UK Government’s Education Committee.
Co-author, Mark Mon-Williams, Professor of Psychology at the University of Leeds, said: “There is a school absence crisis and the long-term consequences for the UK are frightening. The UK’s future depends on a well-educated and healthy workforce and the evidence shows clearly that school absence is a major risk factor for poor health in later life.
“This research shows that we need to act early and how we can identify children at risk before they disengage with school. It also highlights that there are many reasons why children are absent, and suggests we need evidence-based responses tailored to individual circumstances to address the crisis.”
