ON
🔍
← Back to feed
United KingdomEducation12 days ago

England's 'just one day off' culture adding up to weeks of lost learning as 'birthday bunk offs' become the norm

A report by the UK government indicates that students in England are increasingly missing school on their birthdays, with absence rates being significantly higher on birthdays compared to other days. The data shows that children are up to 55% more likely to miss school on their birthday. Officials note that even a single day of absence can accumulate over the school year, potentially leading to learning loss. Additionally, the report highlights that many students who have afternoon appointments also miss the morning session, and schools that end the term mid-week experience higher absence rate

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source

By ELEANOR HARDING, EDUCATION EDITOR

Published: 00:01 BST, 9 June 2026 | Updated: 01:07 BST, 9 June 2026

England's 'just one day off' culture is adding up to weeks of lost learning for pupils, as officials warn 'birthday bunk offs' are becoming the norm.

New Government figures suggest children are up to 55 per cent more likely to miss school on their birthday as opposed to any other day.

Across all pupils, the overall absence rate on birthdays was 9.6 per cent per cent last year, compared to 6.9 per cent on non-birthdays.

The trend was particularly pronounced for Year 8 pupils, who had a birthday absence rate of 12.8 per cent compared to 8.3 per cent for non-birthdays.

The Department for Education said that while a single day of absence 'appears insignificant', these missed days can 'quickly add up over the course of a school year', increasing the risk of falling behind.

And it pointed out catch-up sessions for bunking pupils can 'affect the pace of learning' for the whole class.

The figures also showed that 56 per cent of pupils who had an afternoon medical or dental appointment also missed the morning session.

In addition, they revealed schools that finish for summer mid-week had on average absence rates 2.6 percentage points higher than those finishing on a Friday.

New Government figures suggest children are up to 55 per cent more likely to miss school on their birthday as opposed to any other day (pictured: Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson)

The data, for 2024/25 - the latest available - comes amid a drive by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson to cut overall absence rates.

From today, schools will get a new package of attendance support including data tools and ideas for initiatives.

Examples include giving pupils a queue-jump pass at lunch on their birthday, to encourage them to attend.

Mrs Phillipson said: 'Improving attendance is everyone's responsibility. That's why we're giving schools better tools to identify problems early and work with families to address them, while encouraging parents to play their part in building strong attendance habits.'

Separate data shows pupils who attend nearly every day in Year 6 have 30 per cent higher odds of reaching expected standards in reading, writing and maths compared to those missing 5 to 10 per cent of school.

Read the full article at Daily Mail →
Source document: Department for Education

1 reports

Daily MailIndependentCenter12 days ago
England's 'just one day off' culture adding up to weeks of lost learning as 'birthday bunk offs' become the norm

A report by the UK government indicates that students in England are increasingly missing school on their birthdays, with absence rates being significantly higher on birthdays compared to other days. The data shows that children are up to 55% more likely to miss school on their birthday. Officials note that even a single day of absence can accumulate over the school year, potentially leading to learning loss. Additionally, the report highlights that many students who have afternoon appointments also miss the morning session, and schools that end the term mid-week experience higher absence rate

Bias read (Center): The article presents statistical data from the Department for Education without overtly biased language or selective sourcing. It reports facts and quotes official statements neutrally, without apparent ideological framing.

Official sources cited

  • government Department for Education

Go to the primary sources (1)

The official sources this coverage is built on. Read them directly to bypass framing.

  • governmentDepartment for Education