Pupils with an EHCP 1.5 times more likely to miss at least one day of school than a pupil with no SEN

The FFT Education Data Lab have produced a report based on data collected from FFT Aspire from 2000 schools focusing on Year 11 pupils in their GCSE year. They have compared the absence data for 2020/21 to 2018/19 as the last full academic year pre-pandemic and have removed the data for the third lockdown period in 2021.  The figures show that across the board there has been double the number of absences in comparison and that Year 11 pupils were absent for an average of 15% of sessions, the most for any year group. The data was then further analysed for pupils with SEN and disadvantaged pupils. 

• Year 11 pupils with an ECHP missed around 20% of sessions
• Year 11 pupils with SEN support missed around 19% of sessions
• Year 11 pupils with no identified SEN missed 14% of sessions

This puts year 11 pupils with SEN at a distinct disadvantage during the pandemic. They analyse further to see if those pupils with SEND are in schools with had overall higher rates of absence and this is not the case and pupils with an EHCP actually attended schools with lower rates of absence overall. Those with and EHCP were around 1.5 times more likely to miss at least one day of school than a pupil with no SEN.  

This data masks substantial variation between schools and especially between pupils. Even in the same schools there has been variation in attendance between pupils. As the JCQ guidance stated that GCSE grades should only be based on content that has been taught, grades may be based on much less coverage from students achieving the same grade and even in the same grade, this has repercussions for many post-16 courses.