Children are up to 55% more likely to miss school on their birthday – one of a string of ‘just one day off’ habits that new government analysis shows could be quietly costing children weeks of learning.
While a single day of absence appears insignificant, these missed days can quickly add up over the course of a school year, increasing the risk of pupils becoming persistently absent and falling behind their peers. The impact is also rarely felt by just one child. Catching children up on missed learning can affect the pace of learning for the whole class.
The same analysis found that schools that don’t finish the year on a Friday see absence rates rise by 27% in that final week alone. Taken together, patterns of occasional, often avoidable absence like these are a key part of worse school attendance post-Covid.
The stakes are high, with pupils who attend nearly every day in Year 6 having 30% higher odds of reaching expected standards in reading, writing and maths compared to those missing 5–10% of school. Secondary pupils who are persistently absent are around three times more likely to become NEET than their peers.
But attendance is about more than academic achievement. Every day in school helps children build friendships, develop confidence, take part in sport, music and enrichment activities – and create the shared experiences and milestones that shape childhood. At a time when many young people are spending more time online and less time socialising face-to-face, regular school attendance plays a vital role in supporting wellbeing, belonging and healthy development.
By spotting patterns of occasional days lost – whether to one-offs like birthdays broken weeks – and tackling them by stronger relationships with parents and pupils, and reviewing calendars, schools can help raise attendance and improve results.
To turn insights into action, the government is today giving schools a new package of attendance support, including a personalised tool based on real-time data showing cohort absence patterns over the year, a practical toolkit and communications guide to help leaders strengthen engagement with families.
Drawing on successful practice from schools across the country, the resources outline simple initiatives that make children feel recognised and valued. Examples include giving pupils a queue-jump pass at lunch on their birthday and using “Under the Weather” forms, which help parents and schools agree in advance how to support children who may struggle during the school day.
Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said
We’ve seen five million more days in the classroom last year – the biggest improvement in attendance in a decade. That’s real progress, but there is more to do.
Improving attendance is everyone’s responsibility. That’s why we’re giving schools better tools to identify problems early and work with families to address them, while encouraging parents to play their part in building strong attendance habits.
By sharing what works and backing our wider reforms to make schools places where children feel they belong, want to be and can achieve and thrive, together we can ensure more children are in the classroom every day.
The resources focus on early intervention, strong relationships with families, smoother transition into secondary school and creating school cultures where children feel they belong and want to attend.
Executive Principal at Ark Kings Academy, Caz Brasenell said
The new data tool insights provided by government will help school leaders identify attendance patterns more quickly and focus support where it is most needed.
By visualising trends across different groups of pupils, schools can take a more proactive approach to attendance and intervene before issues become entrenched.
These practical tools sit alongside the government’s broader mission to make school somewhere children genuinely want to be. Our once-in-a-generation education reforms are investing in enriched school experiences – from expanding access to music, sport and the arts, to ensuring every child benefits from high-quality teaching, high expectations and a curriculum that stretches and inspires them.
The Attendance and Behaviour Hubs programme is helping schools build the warm, inclusive cultures where strong attendance naturally follows – spreading proven approaches through peer-to-peer support and collaboration.
Together, these reforms are helping ensure children not only attend school regularly, but benefit from the full range of opportunities, relationships and experiences that help them achieve and thrive.