The proportion of pupils absent from school has increased significantly - with almost one in five eligible secondary students absent last week.
The latest Department for Education attendance data also shows that the number of teachers and school leaders who were absent rose by more than 25 per cent in the space of two weeks up to last Thursday.
Overall attendance in state schools, adjusted to exclude Year 11-13 students “not in attendance because they are off-site for approved purposes”, dropped to 86.9 per cent on 7 July, down from 89.4 per cent on 23 June.
But for secondary school in particular, the attendance figure was even lower - with 81.2 per cent of eligible students in attendance last week, down from 86.9 per cent on 23 June.
Attendance in state primaries was 90.9 per cent on Thursday, down from 91.4 per cent two weeks earlier.
In special schools, attendance was 84.6 per cent, compared with 85.5 per cent previously.
In alternative provision the figure was 52.2 per cent, down from 52.9 per cent on 23 June.
School staff absence increasing as Covid cases rise
The government estimates that 42,000 teachers and school leaders were absent from open schools on Thursday last week - up from 33,000 on 23 June.
In total, 8 per cent of all state school teachers and leaders in England were off school for any reason last week.
There was also a similar increase in absence among teaching assistants and other staff.
The DfE estimates that 6.8 per cent (49,000) of teaching assistants and other staff were absent for any reason from open schools on 7 July, up from 5.5 per cent (39,000) on 23 June.
Teacher and school leader absence has increased by 27 per cent since the last set of published figures in June.
The latest data comes after the Association of School and College Leaders’ general secretary, Geoff Barton, warned that some schools had reintroduced masks in corridors in an attempt to mitigate against rising Covid cases.
The DfE no longer records whether absence is because of Covid and there is no longer an expectation for staff or pupils to test for the virus.
