The number of pupils absent due to Covid-related attendance restrictions has more than doubled in a fortnight.
Department for Education data published today reveals a slight fall in overall attendance between 17-31 March, despite fewer pupils being recorded as absent for Covid-related reasons.
Covid-related pupil absence officially fell from 202,000 (2.5 per cent) on 17 March to 178,800 (2.2 per cent) on 31 March.
However, the DfE acknowledged the figures for pupils isolating and with confirmed cases of Covid “may be impacted by levels of testing”.
The number of pupils absent due to attendance restrictions caused by a Covid outbreak or “exceptional circumstances related to Covid” more than doubled over two weeks, from 17,000 on 17 March to 34,300 on 31 March.
While this figure fell at primary level, from 3,300 on 17 March to 1,900 on 31 March, it almost tripled in secondary schools - from 11,900 on 17 March to 30,100 on 31 March.
And while overall Covid-related pupil absence fell, it rose in secondaries by 23 per cent - from around 73,700 on 17 March to 90,800 on 31 March.
School workforce down by 9%
Despite a fall in the number of teachers and school leaders absent for any reason on 31 March, schools were still missing almost 9 per cent of their workforce.
There were 45,868 teachers and school leaders (8.7 per cent) absent for any reason on 31 March, down from 47,878 (9.1 per cent) on 17 March.
However, at secondary, this number rose slightly from 21,325 (8.8 per cent) on 17 March to 21,669 (8.9 per cent) on 31 March.
Also, one-in-five of all state-funded schools had more than 15 per cent of their teachers and school leaders absent for any reason on 31 March.
‘Deep frustration’
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said the union was continuing to hear a “sense of deep frustration from school leaders as they struggle to deal with the significant and ongoing disruption caused by Covid”.
“We all assumed ‘living with Covid’ meant there would be very low case levels - this is clearly not the case and absence rates remain at concerningly high levels.”
Mr Whiteman added that school leaders felt they have been “abandoned”.
“The ongoing risk of illness and chaos caused by staff absence, not to mention the mounting pressure of exams, Sats and Ofsted, is unsustainable. Our members, and education, are at breaking point.”
Attendance data from just one month ago revealed school attendance was at its highest since May 2021.
Yesterday, the DfE updated its school attendance guidance, meaning schools will no longer have to distinguish between Covid-related absence when recording attendance.
