School Absence in Sandwell: The 2026 Figures and the Law

Home › School Absence by Council: Persistent and Severe Rates (2026)

Absence figures get reported as a national average and a headline about truancy. Neither tells you much about your own area, and the average hides the thing that matters most: a small group of children who are barely in school at all, and who are growing in number.

Sandwell at a glance

Persistent absence in Sandwell has fallen from 23.3% in 2021/22 to 19.7% in 2024/25. Across England it fell from 22.5% to 18.1% over the same period.

Severe absence has risen from 1.65% to 2.19%. This is the number to watch. Nationally severe absence rose 44.5% over those three years even as overall persistent absence improved. The average is recovering while the children at the far end get further away.

Special schools in Sandwell

In Sandwell’s special schools, 36.3% of pupils were persistently absent and 6.15% severely absent. The England figures are 35.3% and 6.91%.

That is the highest absence of any school type, by a distance, and it is worth sitting with. These are children whose needs are already formally recognised and who have a specialist placement, and more than a third of them are still missing a tenth of their schooling. If your child has SEND, it is worth knowing how Sandwell handles EHC needs assessments.

What these numbers mean, and what they do not

A “session” is half a school day. A child is a persistent absentee if they miss 10% or more of their possible sessions across the year, which is roughly one day a fortnight. A child is a severe absentee if they miss 50% or more, meaning they are out of school at least as often as they are in it.

These counts include authorised absence. Illness, medical appointments, an agreed part-time timetable and an unmet special educational need all land in the same figure as truancy. A high number is not a measure of parents not bothering, and reading it that way is how families in genuine difficulty end up treated as a discipline problem.

Is missing school illegal?

If your child is registered at a school, you have a legal duty to make sure they attend regularly. Under section 444 of the Education Act 1996 a parent commits an offence if a registered pupil fails to attend regularly without a lawful reason, and councils can issue penalty notices or prosecute. Illness is a lawful reason.

That duty attaches to being on a school roll. It does not apply to a child who is not registered at a school because their family has chosen home education. That is why deregistering ends attendance enforcement, and it is also why some families reach for it when nothing else has worked.

Not attending is not the same as refusing

Much of what shows up as severe absence is a child who cannot manage the building rather than a child who will not. Anxiety-based school avoidance, undiagnosed or unsupported SEND, bullying and mental ill health all produce the same statistic. If that is where you are, start with the school and your GP, ask what reasonable adjustments are available, and get any suspected SEND properly assessed before anyone starts talking about fines.

Where this leads

Severe absence is the strongest signal ahead of a family leaving school altogether. Nationally there are now 126,000 children in elective home education, up 12.8% in a year, and it peaks at Year 11.

• How many children are home educated in Sandwell
• Sandwell’s EHC needs assessment refusal rate and waiting times
• School refusal: a parent’s guide
• Home educating an anxious child
• Compare Sandwell with every other council

Common questions about Sandwell

What is the school absence rate in Sandwell?

In 2024/25, 19.7% of pupils in Sandwell were persistently absent and 2.19% were severely absent. Across England the figures were 18.1% and 2.39%.

What counts as persistent absence?

Missing 10% or more of possible sessions across the year, which is roughly one day a fortnight. A session is half a school day. Authorised absence such as illness counts towards it.

What counts as severe absence?

Missing 50% or more of possible sessions, so the child is out of school at least as often as they are in. In Sandwell that applied to about 1,231 children in 2024/25.

Can Sandwell fine me if my child will not go to school?

If your child is registered at a school, section 444 of the Education Act 1996 makes it an offence for a parent to fail to secure regular attendance without a lawful reason, and the council can issue a penalty notice or prosecute. Illness is a lawful reason. Talk to the school and your GP early, and ask about reasonable adjustments and a SEND assessment, because a child who cannot attend is a different problem from one who will not.

Does home education stop attendance enforcement?

Yes, because the duty applies to children registered at a school. Once a child is lawfully deregistered they are no longer on a school roll and attendance rules no longer apply. That is a significant decision rather than a quick fix, and it transfers responsibility for their education to you.

Sources

• Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 academic year. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
• Education Act 1996, section 444.
• Education Act 1996, section 7.