Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson responds to new research on pupil absence

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson responds to new research on pupil absence in England. Government figures released in July showed suspensions and exclusions rose to a record high in 2023/24.The latest DfE figures show that while the overall absence rate was lower in autumn 2024/25 than it was the previous year, the number of pupils severely absent increased from 142,000 in autumn 2023/24 to 148,000 in autumn 2024/25.