Policy briefing: Authorised, Unauthorised and Persistent Absence Among Secondary School Pupils in Scotland

School attendance in Scotland remains below pre-pandemic levels, with one in three secondary school pupils absent for more than 10% of the academic year in 2024/25. Poor attendance can have significant consequences for educational attainment, wellbeing and later labour market outcomes.

 

This briefing summarises findings from administrative data research examining factors associated with:

• Persistent absence (missing 10% or more of the school year)
• Authorised absence (such as sickness, medical appointments or family circumstances)
• Unauthorised absence (such as truancy, school refusal or unexplained lateness)

The research shows that attendance patterns are shaped more by pupils' social, economic, health and wellbeing circumstances than by differences between schools or local authorities.

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Key statistics

• 32% probability of persistent absence among secondary school pupils in 2018/19
• 37.4% persistent absence rate reported for secondary school pupils in 2024/25
• Pupils registered for Free School Meals were around twice as likely to be persistently absent
• Pupils with mental health-related prescriptions experienced up to 90% more authorised absence days
• Pupils with social-emotional Additional Support Needs experienced up to 70% more unauthorised absence days
   

Key findings
 

Persistent absence has increased over time. Persistent absence increased from 25% of pupils in 2014/15 to 32% by 2018/19, with rates rising steadily throughout secondary school, particularly between S3 and S5.

Low household income is the strongest predictor. Pupils who had ever been registered for Free School Meals had up to a 44% probability of persistent absence, approximately double that of pupils who had never been registered.

Different types of absence have different drivers.

Pupil circumstances matter more than school differences. Variation in attendance is explained far more by pupils' social and economic circumstances than by differences between schools or local authorities.

Mental health and wellbeing are important factors. Pupils receiving mental health-related prescriptions were estimated to experience up to 90% more authorised absence days, highlighting the importance of wellbeing and access to support services.

 

Why these findings matter for policy

The findings indicate that school absence is primarily driven by underlying social, economic, health and wellbeing factors rather than differences between schools.

Poverty, mental health challenges, care experience and additional support needs all play a significant role in shaping attendance patterns. The evidence also demonstrates that different forms of absence have distinct underlying causes, suggesting that a "one-size-fits-all" approach is unlikely to be effective.

Policies focused solely on attendance management within schools may therefore have limited impact unless accompanied by wider action addressing:

• Poverty and financial hardship
• Mental health and emotional wellbeing
• Family circumstances
• Additional support needs
• Care experience

Improving attendance requires coordinated action across education, health, social care and anti-poverty policy.

 

Policy recommendations
 

1. Prioritise family-level support for pupils experiencing poverty

• Expand measures that reduce financial pressures on families.
• Address the wider drivers of attendance difficulties linked to poverty and disadvantage.

2. Develop integrated poverty and mental health strategies

• Ensure attendance policies recognise the interaction between economic disadvantage and emotional wellbeing.
• Promote joined-up approaches across services.

3. Strengthen support for pupils with Additional Support Needs

• Improve early identification of support needs.
• Develop tailored interventions that reflect the nature of individual pupils' needs.

4. Improve access to mental health services

• Ensure timely assessment and support through both NHS services and school-based provision.
• Strengthen preventative and early intervention approaches.

5. Support care-experienced pupils

• Recognise care-experienced young people as a high-risk group for attendance difficulties.
• Strengthen multi-agency approaches to improving school engagement and participation.