Absence most damaging at start and during school transition, study finds

Prolonged absence from school is most damaging to pupils’ achievement in the first year and during the transition from primary to secondary, research has found.

The study, funded by the Nuffield Foundation and based on more than 8,000 pupils in England, found absences in these periods were more than twice as harmful as in the middle years of primary school.

The study found absence had the greatest impact on performance in the first year of primary school, with the effect decreasing from Years 2 to 5. The impact increased from Year 6 to Year 10, before falling slightly in Year 11.

It also found that authorised absences – notably through illness – were as detrimental as unauthorised ones. Similar patterns were observed in Wales.

The researchers recommend more support for pupils during transitional years, addressing all absences with equal urgency and sharing attendance data across school stages to ensure continuity of support. They also propose tackling the root causes of non-attendance rather than relying on punitive measures.

The research was carried out at the University of Strathclyde, with the University of Glasgow and the German Institute for Economic Research, and published in the American Educational Research Journal.

Markus Klein, professor at Strathclyde’s Institute of Education and 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.”

He added: “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.

“Both authorised and unauthorised absences have an equal impact on academic achievement, yet current policy tends to focus disproportionately on unauthorised absences. To improve outcomes, we need to give equal attention to all types of absence, including those for legitimate reasons such as illness, and support parents with clear guidance on school attendance.”

Researchers used data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, linked with the National Pupil Database, the register of all pupils in state schools in England.