School absence “most harmful” in late primary and early secondary

Prolonged absence from school at transitional years and early secondary years is most harmful to achievement, according to new research by University of Strathclyde, funded by the Nuffield Foundation.

The study of more than 8,000 pupils in England found that absences in the transitional and early secondary years are more than twice as harmful as those in the middle years of primary school.

The research says that authorised absences – notably through illness – are as detrimental as those which are unauthorised, which is contrary to some other research.

The researchers also observed notably similar patterns in the effect of both the timing and reasons for absences in the context of education in Wales.

The researchers recommend increased support for pupils through the transitional years, addressing all absences with equal urgency and sharing attendance data across school stages to enable continuity of support. In addition, they propose that interventions on absences from school should address their root causes more than taking punitive measures.

Professor Markus Klein, of Strathclyde’s Institute of Education, the project’s principal investigator, said: “While it is well known that significant absences have an adverse effect on school performance, our research aimed to identify the stages at which it is most harmful and the extent of harm which different types of absence cause.

“At times of transition, schools typically support pupils in coping with new experiences, and so absence at these stages may be more detrimental to achievement than in other periods. Understanding and addressing the causes of non-attendance during this period must be a priority for both policymakers and practitioners.

“Improving attendance requires early, sustained intervention. Patterns of absence often begin in primary school, where even authorised absences can signal longer-term disengagement. Addressing the underlying causes through early, collaborative support for families is essential to prevent more serious attendance issues later on.

Absences had a greater impact on academic performance in the first year of primary school, and this effect decreased steadily from Years 2 to 5. They had a stronger effect on performance from Year 6, the final year of primary school, to Year 10, the penultimate year of compulsory secondary schooling, but this was reduced slightly in Year 11.