Is the start of term critical for tackling persistent absence?
Absence at the start of term is no more predictive of persistent absence than at any other time of year.
Usage of new attendance codes: An update
New statutory guidance for schools in relation to recording and managing attendance (and absence) came into effect in September last year. We take a look at the use of codes to record absences in attendance registers.
Exclusions and suspensions in 2024/25
An update to our regular series using attendance data to gauge the rate of exclusion and suspension in the whole of the 2024/25 academic year
The relationship between absence in Year 6 and Year 7
We aim to provide secondary schools with some guidelines about what level of pupil attendance in Year 6 may be cause for concern in their incoming Year 7 cohorts.
Who gets study leave in Year 11?
In response to a reader request, we look at how consistently study leave has been granted to Year 11 pupils taking public exams this year
Exclusions and suspensions in Autumn and Spring 2024/25
Rates of exclusion and suspension have been rising since the pandemic. But there are emerging signs based on this year's data that rates might be plateauing.
School absences, exclusions and crime amongst high-achieving children from disadvantaged backgrounds
Highlights from new research into high-achieving children from disadvantaged backgrounds, focusing on school absences, exclusions and cautions/sentences from the police.
Pupil absence in Autumn and Spring 2024/25
A summary of pupil attendance so far this year using data from our Attendance Tracker schools. Absence and persistent absence seem to have improved very slightly since last year, but remain above pre-pandemic levels.
Some things you might not know about our schools – a birthday special
As we celebrate our tenth birthday, we look back at some of the issues we were talking about when Datalab launched, and reflect on some of the other big issues in education today.