More than 30,000 pupils regularly educated off-site

Data analysis by FFT Education Datalab shows the amount of children marked down as attendance “code B”, meaning the child is educated off-site. 

FFT Education Datalab estimates 33,000 pupils nationally regularly attended off-site provision in attendance registers last term.

It found that 158 in every 10,000 Year 11 pupils (1.58%) were regularly educated off-site last term. Rates among other year groups, particularly primary phase age groups are much lower.

Pupils with special educational needs, particularly those with Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans are far more likely to be educated off-site.

Over 600 in every 10,000 pupils with EHC plans (6%) were regularly educated off-site last term.

Pupils who are regularly educated off-site tend to spend more time being educated off-site than attending the school at which they are registered. 35% of sessions were spent off-site compared to 33% being present at school.

Almost a quarter of those regularly educated off-site did not attend a single session at the school at which they were registered.

The analysis found that just over 75% of secondary schools had at least one pupil regularly educated off-site but 40% of the pupils attend 10% of schools. Typically between 2% and 5% of pupils at each of these schools were regularly educated off-site.

FFT Education Datalab suggests that the Department for Education use the data to investigate what type of off-site education the pupils are attending.  

It says that in some cases, it would be possible to identify whether pupils are attending unregistered or independent alternative provision where their school is paying fees.