Your result
93.2% attendance
6.8%
absence
12.9
days missed in a full-year example
26
approximate sessions missed
Attendance made easier to understand
What does my child's attendance actually mean?
Type in the attendance percentage from school. We will turn it into plain English and explain roughly how much school has been missed.
No judgement. No scare tactics.
A percentage cannot tell you why your child has been absent. It is simply one piece of information.
Before you start
Attendance
The percentage of possible school sessions your child attended.
Absence
The percentage of possible school sessions your child missed.
Persistent absence
The national term used when a pupil has missed 10% or more of their possible sessions.
Unauthorised absence
Sessions the school has recorded as not authorised. This is different from overall absence.
Enter the attendance percentage
Use the figure shown in your school app, attendance report or letter.
For example, type 93.2 if the school says attendance is 93.2%.
Add more information if you know it
If you do not know this, leave it blank. We will show a full-year example instead.
Only enter this if the school has told you the number.
Which DfE absence band is this?
Show all DfE absence bands
| Absence rate | What this means |
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Is my child persistently absent?
Persistent absence is a national definition. It is not a judgement about your child or your parenting.
Overall absence and unauthorised absence are different
Overall absence
All missed sessions are counted here, including authorised and unauthorised absence.
This is what determines whether the national persistent-absence definition applies.
Unauthorised absence
Only sessions recorded by school as unauthorised are counted here.
The national Penalty Notice threshold is based on unauthorised sessions, not simply your child's attendance percentage.
What does this number tell me?
It can help you understand:
- roughly how much school has been missed;
- which DfE absence band the figure falls into;
- whether persistent absence applies;
- whether it may be useful to look more closely at the attendance pattern.
It cannot tell you:
- why your child has been absent;
- how your child feels about school;
- whether health, SEND, anxiety, bullying or another barrier is involved;
- whether the school or local authority will take formal action.
Useful questions to ask school
Simple summary
About the figures used
This tool uses the Department for Education absence bands for England. The DfE groups absence into 5-percentage-point bands from 0% to less than 50%, then a final band of 50% or more.
Persistent absence: missing 10% or more of possible sessions.
Severe absence: an absence rate of 50% or more.
Penalty Notice national threshold: at least 10 unauthorised sessions within a rolling 10-school-week period means a Penalty Notice must be considered. That is separate from overall attendance percentage.
This is an information tool for parents and carers in England. Your child's school register is the accurate record. School policies and local authority procedures may contain further information.
Behind every percentage is a child, a family and a story.
Understand the number. Then understand the reason.