The number of pupils in England off school without permission at the start of the academic year has fallen slightly compared with last year, figures suggest.

Data from the Department for Education (DfE) shows the unauthorised absence rate across all schools in England was 2.0% in the week ending September 13, compared with 2.1% in the equivalent week in 2023.

It comes as parents in England face higher fines if they take their children out of class without permission this academic year as part of a Government drive to boost attendance since the Covid-19 pandemic.

School absence fines have increased from £60 to £80 under the changes, and a parent who receives a second fine for the same child within a three-year period will automatically receive a £160 fine.

The DfE has said other actions, such as a parenting order or prosecution, will be considered if a parent exceeds two fines per child within a three-year period, and those who are prosecuted could receive a fine of up to £2,500.

In the last week of the summer term – the week ending July 19 – the unauthorised absence rate was 5.0%, which was lower than at the end of the academic year in 2023 when the rate was 5.6%.

The introduction of higher fines – announced by the former Conservative government in February – comes after nearly 400,000 penalty notices were issued to parents in England in 2022-23 for unauthorised absences.

Nearly nine in 10 (89.3%) of the fines were for unauthorised holidays as families looked to book cheaper vacations outside school term times, according to DfE figures released in December.

Under new national rules, all schools are required to consider a fine when a child has missed 10 or more sessions (five days) for unauthorised reasons.

The latest DfE school attendance data also shows that the overall absence rate – authorised and unauthorised – was 4.8% at the start of this term, compared with 5.0% in the equivalent week in September 2023.

Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “Any fall in absence rates, however small, is encouraging and testament to the hard work schools have put in to improving attendance.

“While any absence from education is damaging, attendance is particularly vital at the start of an academic year when pupils are settling into new classes and being exposed to new learning topics.

“There is still work to do to further reduce absence rates, and schools would benefit from a greater network of local support services being available to provide additional help to pupils and families where it is required.”

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “School leaders will be encouraged to see that attendance has started to move in the right direction.

“Many teachers and leaders are working closely with families to encourage pupils back into school. However, it is too early to determine the if this is a longstanding trend, or the causes for the change.

“Ultimately, fines are a blunt tool – and to tackle absences we need to see more support for the root causes of children staying out of school – including support for vulnerable families and for children and young people’s mental health.”