School Attendance Gap Day

What is School Attendance Gap day?




School Attendance Gap Day is marked on 5 February 2026.

This is the halfway point in the school year when ‘severely absent’ children and young people (with 50% attendance) effectively have their final school day and are absent for the rest of the academic year.

Government data  for the academic year 2024/2025 (Autumn and Spring term) shows that this figure continues to increase and there are a staggering 166,000 pupils who will stop learning on 5 February 2026. 

School Attendance Gap Day is the final school day for 166,000 ‘severely absent’ pupils in England.

Read more and get involved to close the school attendance gap.

Spring and Autumn data set comparison - Feb 2026 (1)

Why do we need to close the School Attendance Gap?

The School Attendance Gap represents the learning lost by children who miss school. It relates to learning of all kinds – including academic, social and practical.

The problem of ‘severe absence’ is getting worse rather than better. The number of children missing this much of school is about 180% higher than pre-pandemic (2018/2019).

This means that collectively we are still failing huge numbers of children, who are out of school as often as they are in. We need to go further and faster to tackle school absence.

The long term consequences of absence

The long term consequences of lost learning are significant, contributing to cycles of poverty, missed opportunities and lost potential.

Lower Attainment. There is a proven correlation between school absence and school attainment. Data from the Children’s Commissioner report ‘Missing school, missing grades’ reveals that 78% of pupils who were rarely absent in both years passed at least 5 GCSEs, including English and maths, in 2022. By comparison, just one in twenty pupils who were ‘severely absent’ met the same standards.

Reduced Social Mobility. The Social Mobility Commission views NEET (not in education, employment or training) as a key indicator for social mobility. Research has found that ‘persistently absent’ children and young people (missing 10% or more of education) are 3.9 times more likely to be NEET and 6.3 times more likely to be persistently NEET.

Risk of School Exclusion. The Who is Losing Learning Coalition has found that children who are ‘severely absent’ from school are also five times more likely to be permanently excluded than the national rate, suggesting that severe absence may correlate with behavioural problems that schools do not have the capacity to address.

Exposure to Harmful Influences. School provides a strong protective effect from harmful influences. Analysis from the CSJ in 2023 indicated that the rising rates of school absences could create an extra 9,000 extra young offenders by 2027 if left unresolved.

School Attendance Gap Day (1)

Get involved to close the School Attendance Gap

By signing the School Attendance Gap Day pledge, you are adding your name to a growing call to ensure no child misses out on their education.

Signing the pledge shows that you:

  • Believe that missing half of school should never be normal
  • Recognise that severe school absence is linked to unmet needs
  • Support a collaborative, support-first approach to improving attendance

 

Your pledge helps make the scale of the problem visible and strengthens the case for action that puts children and families first.

What happens when you sign?

  • Your name will be added to SHS Attendance Gap Day campaign
  • You’ll receive updates on the impact of Attendance Gap Day
  • You’ll hear how support is helping children stay in school
  • Read our short explainer on School Attendance Gap Day and the pledge.

 

Sign the pledge by filling in the form below to close the school attendance gap

Fill in the form and sign the Pledge to close the School Attendance Gap

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The number of children absent from school for half or more of the academic year, and who have their effective final school day today, is shocking. We need to build an education system that is inclusive, where every child feels a strong sense of belonging and children are supported so they don’t miss out on learning.

Baroness Anne Longfield, Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives

Save the Children is today backing calls to close the school attendance gap with innovative and targeted measures to reduce the number of children missing lessons. We urge policymakers and school communities to work together to deliver the investment and support needed to make better attendance a reality.

Margaret Kilner,

Senior Influencing Lead for Save the Children UK

SAGD - website images (3)

Sam’s story

6 year old Sam was absent from school for long periods of time due to illness. His attendance fell to 51%, at the threshold for severe absence. Sam was missing out on half of his education, which meant he was finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with his learning and stay connected to his peers.

School-Home Support practitioner Helena worked with Sam and his mum to understand and overcome the root causes of Sam’s absence. With support to overcome the family’s health and housing issues, Sam’s attendance increased to 82%.

 

 

Read Sam’s story