Attendance codes in UK schools are standardised letters or symbols used to mark a student's absence or presence on a given day or session. These codes help schools track attendance patterns, identify potential issues, and comply with government regulations.
Here's a breakdown of some common attendance codes for schools:
Presence:
/: Present (full session)
\: Present (morning or afternoon session)
P: Present (participating in approved educational activity)
Authorised Absence:
- C: Other authorised circumstances
D: Dual registration (attending another approved educational provision)
E: Excluded (with permission)
F/H: Family holiday (agreed)
I: Illness
J: Interview (approved)
L: Late (before register closes)
M: Medical/Dental appointments
R: Religious observance
S: Study leave
T: Traveller absence
V: Educational visit or trip
W: Work experience
Unauthorised Absence:
- G: Family holiday (not agreed)
N: No reason provided
O: Unauthorised absence
U: Late (after register closes)
Attendance continues to be an ongoing issue within the UK education system and this is something we have covered in more detail with Arti Sharma from NutureUK in a podcast episode, which you can find here: Attendance and absence podcast episode
