Unauthorised absences at schools across the UK fell for the second time in a row last year - but the rates of truancy are far higher at some schools than others. Pupils at state-funded secondaries in England missed the equivalent of around one in 12 days through unauthorised absences in the 2024/25 academic year. That rate of 8.4% lost "school sessions", to use the official term, was down from 8.9% in 2023/24 and 9% in both 2022/23 and 2021/22.

However, it remains higher than pre-pandemic levels, when just 5.5% of sessions were lost to unauthorised absences. The rate of persistent absence - pupils missing 10% or more of their classes - also fell to 18.14% in 2024/25 from 19.95% the year before, though still remains far above 10.86% in 2018/19. Yorkshire as a whole - South and West - in particular dominates the unwanted rankings.

Data from the Department for Education has revealed the schools with the highest unauthorised absence rate, with Fir Vale Academy in Sheffield topping the list and many of the high-rankers also based in northern England.

Pupils at Fir Vale missed the equivalent of one in every six sessions through unauthorised absences in the 2024/25 academic year, a proportion of 17.1%.

The Co-op Academy in Leeds came in second place, with some 13.3% of sessions lost to unauthorised absences in the 2024/25 academic year, equivalent to nearly one in every eight sessions.

Saint Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy in Knowsley had the next highest rate at 13.1%.

It was followed by The Basildon Upper Academy in Essex at 12.8%, Alsop High School in Liverpool at 12.7%, Leeds East Academy in Leeds at 12.5% and Aylesbury UTC in Buckinghamshire at 12.3%.

Using our interactive table below, you can find the unauthorised absence rate of every state-funded secondary school in England.

There were 5,100 more pupils classed as "severely absent" this year, meaning they missed 50% or more of their sessions - an increase mainly driven by pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The Government set out sweeping SEND reforms in February, aimed at making the system more inclusive, and has set a target for children to be attending 20 million more days of school each year in 2028/29 compared with 2023/24.

It has also created 93 hubs aimed at supporting around 3,000 schools across the country with improving attendance and behaviour.

A DfE spokesperson said: "Every child deserves to be in school, learning and thriving. We have made real progress - absence is down and persistent absence has plummeted with over 225,000 more children attending school almost every day.

"But we know there's more to do, particularly for children with SEND. We have launched the biggest reform to the SEND system in a generation with work already underway, ensuring children get the right support earlier, in a school near them.

"Combined with free breakfast clubs, mental health support teams, and our attendance and behaviour hubs, we are tackling the root causes of absence and building a system where every child, whatever their background or needs, can achieve and thrive."