Understanding unauthorised absence
We look at patterns in unauthorised absence, including the numbers of students missing school for unauthorised reasons very frequently, and the contribution such pupils make to headline absence figures
Pupil absence in Autumn Term 2025/26
A summary of patterns in pupil attendance across Autumn Term this year, including the impact of an unusually early flu season
Exploring the relationship between Year 11 absence and GCSE results
We explore how much of a relationship exists between absence in Year 11 and Key Stage 4 attainment once absence in Year 10 has been accounted for.
How many pupils really are severely absent?
Is it right to say that there were over 170 thousand children who were severely absent in 2023/24?
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
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.