More than 14,000 children in Somerset missed a significant portion of school last year – and over 2,000 were barely in the classroom at all – according to the latest government figures.

A pupil is classed as a persistent absentee if they miss 10% or more of their school sessions. That's the equivalent of 19 or more days across the academic year. Severe absence is defined as missing at least 50% of sessions – effectively being in school less than half the time.

In 2023/24, 14,222 Somerset pupils were persistently absent, and 2,020 were severely absent. These figures come from 65,568 pupil enrolments across 263 state-funded schools in the county.

Across Somerset, there were 22,983,553 possible school sessions (a morning or afternoon counts as one).

Pupils missed 1,845,295 of them – an overall absence rate of 8.0%. Of those, 1,259,876 were authorised absences (such as illness or appointments), while 585,419 were unauthorised.

Among persistently absent pupils, the figures are even more stark. Their overall absence rate was 24.4%, with 14.8% authorised and 9.6% unauthorised. These pupils missed 1,123,990 sessions out of 4,610,126 available to them.

Secondary schools saw the highest rates. Of 30,187 pupils across 35 schools, 8,686 were persistently absent – 28.8% – and 1,519 were severely absent. The overall absence rate was 10.3%.

In primary schools, 5,065 of 34,305 pupils were persistently absent (14.8%), and 323 were severely absent (0.9%), with an overall absence rate of 5.9%.

Special schools saw the highest figures of all. Of 1,076 pupils enrolled, 471 (43.8%) were persistently absent and 178 (16.5%) severely absent. The overall absence rate in special schools was 17.5%.

The reasons are complex – including illness, anxiety, SEND needs, and wider issues like poverty or lack of transport. But school leaders say the system isn't working.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: "These figures make it clear that the current approach to solving absence just isn't working. Simply increasing the pressure on schools, without providing any additional resource for them to tackle the issue, is fruitless.

"The only way to actually make progress is to look at the causes of absence – from parental attitude changes, holiday pricing, and children and young people's experiences of mental health and poverty. Unless we begin to improve those things, absence will continue."

Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: "We need to accept that schools cannot solve this issue on their own and must set out clear expectations and plans for parents, government, schools and other agencies to work together in the best interests of young people.

"This must be backed with funding to ensure there is sufficient capacity in the system for all children to get any additional support they require to be able to attend school on a regular basis. Without investing in a strategic response to this issue, it is difficult to see how attendance rates are going to change at the scale required."

The government has introduced tougher penalties for missing school. Since September 2024, the fine for unauthorised absence has risen from £60 to £80, and a second fine for the same child within three years now costs £160.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson recently called on schools to "catch up fast" to improve pupil attendance, warning that some schools were "not making enough progress" on absences.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "Tackling this issue is everyone's responsibility – government, schools, parents, and children – and we need a national effort to get our kids back in the classroom. We have made some encouraging progress this academic year, but more must be done and this month we have brought together ministers and over 2,000 school leaders up and down the country to share best practices to drive up attendance.

"As part of our plan for change, we [are] determined to turn the tide on poor attendance and break down barriers to opportunity – whether it's through free breakfast clubs, improved mental health support, additional investment in family support, or more focus from Ofsted."

If your child is struggling with attendance, you're not alone – and help is available. Schools are being encouraged to work in partnership with families, particularly where pupils face health, emotional or educational barriers. Behind every statistic is a child who needs support – and every day in school really does count.