Digital Education Resource Archive

Pupil absence in schools in England : autumn 2024 and spring 2025

Long, Robert

  commonslibrary.parliament.uk Use of mobile phones by children in schools, and whether they should be prohibited, has been a subject of regular debate in recent years. This short briefing provides an overview of the current position in England, recent discussion in parliament, and introduces some relevant research. Schools policy is a devolved matter, and this briefing focuses on debate in England, but an overview is included of the position in the other countries of the UK. 1 Current position in England 1.1 Guidance for schools There is no statute or regulation prohibiting the use of mobile phones in schools in England, and schools have always been able to prohibit mobile phone use as part of their behaviour policies.  In February 2024, the Department for Education published non-statutory guidance that said schools should develop a mobile phone policy that prohibits the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality during the school day, including at break times.1  1  Department for Education, Mobile phones in schools, February 2024   Research Briefing 9 April 2025 Number 10241  By Robert Long  Mobile phones in schools (England)     Mobile phones in schools (England) 2 Commons Library Research Briefing, 9 April 2025 While the guidance on mobile phones in schools is not statutory, the government expects schools to prohibit the use of mobiles as part of their behaviour policies.2 Schools may develop their own policies to implement this rule. The guidance suggests the following systems that could be adopted: • No mobile phones allowed on the school premises • Mobile phones handed in on arrival • Mobile phones kept in secure location, which pupils do not access throughout the school day • Pupils may keep their phones but they are “never used, seen or heard”  Schools may adapt their policies where necessary for the needs or circumstances of specific pupils. Position in other countries of the UK Scotland In August 2024, the Scottish Government published Mobile phones: guidance for Scotland's schools. The introduction to the guidance by the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Education, Jenny Gilruth, said: The Scottish Government does not intend to dictate approaches to our headteachers – they know better than anyone the specific approach which will work best in their school. But we are making clear with this guidance that our headteachers are empowered to take action up to and including a whole school bans. This Government supports Scotland’s schools in taking the necessary steps to tackle the negative effects associated with mobile phone use; to enhance outcomes for all of Scotland’s young people.3 On 12 December 2023, the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Education had made a statement to the Scottish Parliament on literacy and numeracy which said the Scottish Government planned to draw up the guidance supporting bans on use of mobile phones in schools. This was in response to the 2023 Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (BISSR), which identified mobile phones as a cause of worsening behaviour in schools. Wales  Lynne Neagle, the Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Education, responded to a Senedd petition in January 2025 calling for the Welsh Government to ban smartphones in all schools in Wales with exemptions for exceptional  2  Department for Education, Behaviour in schools: advice for headteachers and school staff, February 2024, provides wider information  3  Scottish Government, Mobile phones: guidance for Scotland's schools, August 2024     Mobile phones in schools (England) 3 Commons Library Research Briefing, 9 April 2025 circumstances. She said that “often, the biggest challenge for schools around mobile phones and social media is not what goes on in school or during school hours, but what happens outside of the school environment,” and that: When setting their mobile phone and behaviour policies, we encourage schools to consider the effect mobiles could have on learning and learner wellbeing. Where headteachers consider the use of mobile phones in school is having a detrimental impact on learners, they already have the authority to ban or restrict their use including other electronic devices such as tablets if they choose to do so. Schools are best placed to make this decision, reflecting on the way they use technology within a school setting and the needs of their learners.4 The response also said the Welsh Government would publish a behaviour toolkit to support schools, including mobile phone usage. In March 2025, the Senedd’s Petitions Committee published a report which did not support an outright ban on smartphones in schools, but instead called for more support for schools to set their own restrictions.5 Senedd Research have published a range of related information to the petition. Northern Ireland In September 2024, Northern Ireland’s Department of Education published Guidance for Schools on Pupils’ Personal Use of Mobile Phones and other Similar Devices During the School Day.   The guidance states that schools set their own policies and procedures on the use of mobile phones and this is legally a matter for individual Boards of Governors and principals. Nonetheless, the guidance from the Department of Education “advises that the personal use of pupil mobile phones and other similar devices should be restricted during the school day for the vast majority of pupils. This includes during lunch and recreational periods.”6 1.2 Education Committee report (2024) Shortly before the dissolution of parliament for the 2024 general election, the House of Commons Education Committee published a report, Screen time: impacts on education and wellbeing, which said “it is clear that a ban can  4  Senedd, Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Education – Response to Petition (PDF), January 2025 5  Senedd, Smartphone “ban” is not the right call for schools, 12 March 2025 6  Northern Ireland Department of Education, Circular 2024/14 - Guidance for Schools on Pupils’ Personal Use of Mobile Phones and other Similar Devices During the School Day, September 2024     Mobile phones in schools (England) 4 Commons Library Research Briefing, 9 April 2025 have a positive impact on the mental health and educational outcomes of children.”7 The committee recommended that if the new guidance had not proven effective in twelve months, a statutory ban on phones in schools should be implemented.8 The government has not yet responded to the committee’s report. 1.3 Recent parliamentary debate During Committee Stage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill 2024-25, an Opposition amendment was moved to legislate for a ban on mobile phones in schools. Neil O’Brien (Con) moved new clause 48 to the bill, which would have required all schools in England to ban the use of mobile telephones, and other devices with similar functionality, during the school day. Neil O’Brien cited evidence of widespread concerns about mental health among young people, particularly relating to social media. Referring to existing non-statutory guidance, he said: The idea that guidance has done the trick and that there is no longer a problem to solve is contradicted by the Department [for Education]’s evidence. Work by the company Teacher Tapp, also known as School Surveys, similarly finds very high levels of problems and no signs of progress.9 He said that a ban, rather than guidance, was necessary to support schools, and also to reset social norms about children and smartphones.10 Munira Wilson (LD), said that she was becoming convinced of the need for a ban, which “would give headteachers and teaching staff the clout they need with parents who particularly want their children to have their phones during the school day” and ensure resources from the government for enforcement.11 Damian Hinds (Con) spoke in support of the new clause, and clarified that it did not apply outside of school time (such as on school journeys) or preclude  7  Education Committee, Screen Time: Impacts on education and wellbeing, Fourth report of session 2023-24, 25 May 2024, HC 118, p4 8  Education Committee, Screen Time: Impacts on education and wellbeing, Fourth report of session 2023-24, 25 May 2024, HC 118, p5 9  PBC Deb 11 February 2025 c552 10  PBC Deb 11 February 2025 c553 11  PBC Deb 11 February 2025 c553-554     Mobile phones in schools (England) 5 Commons Library Research Briefing, 9 April 2025 exceptions for children with particular requirements. He said that a ban “is not a panacea—far from it—but it will make a difference in schools.”12 Amanda Martin (Lab) said that making decisions about this matter at school level would “allow for the reasonable use of phones and technology, and it would allow for a balanced approach to technology.”13 The parliamentary under-secretary of state, Stephen Morgan (Lab), spoke in favour of decisions on mobile phones being made at school level, adding: New clause 48 lacks the flexibility required to accommodate some individual needs, such as a mobile phone as an adaptation for a disabled child. We know that schools are already prohibiting the use of mobile phones, including through outright bans. Even before guidance was published, around 97% of all schools in England had policies restricting mobile phone use in some way.14 The new clause was put to a vote and defeated (by 10 votes to 6).15  The issue was debated again during Report Stage of the bill in the Commons. The Opposition tabled a new clause that would, among other things, have required all schools in England to have a policy prohibiting the use and carrying of mobile phones and other devices by pupils during the school day. The new clause was put to a voted and defeated (by 317 votes to 159).16 The bill is scheduled to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 1 May 2025. 1.4 Related research and reports The use of mobile phones in schools, and the impacts of phones and social media on young people more widely, has been the subject of regular debate in recent years. This section covers some relevant research and articles discussing related topics. It is not intended to be exhaustive, but to provide an introduction to the relevant issues.  • The House of Lords Library published a briefing on Mobile phones in schools: Mandating a ban? (November 2024) discussing these issues. • The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology has a briefing on Screen use and health in young people (2020) which provides an overview of how children/young people use screens, the opportunities  12  PBC Deb 11 February 2025 c560 13  PBC Deb 11 February 2025 c561 14  PBC Deb 11 February 2025 c562-563 15  PBC Deb 11 February 2025 c5632-564 16  HC Deb 17 March 2025 c116-119     Mobile phones in schools (England) 6 Commons Library Research Briefing, 9 April 2025 and risks of this use, evidence on the possible effects on health and development, and evidence on ways to support healthy screen use. • A House of Lords Library article written during the pandemic, Covid-19: Lockdown measures and children’s screen time (2020), considered the impact of lockdown. • The Science and Technology Committee’s report on the Impact of social media and screen-use on young people’s health (2019) raised concerns about the impact of social media and said that mobile phones could be both a help and a hindrance to learning. • UNESCO’s 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report - Technology in education: A tool on whose terms? (PDF), published in July 2023, said that “mere proximity to a mobile device was found to distract students and to have a negative impact on learning.” • The Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (BISSR) published in December 2023 found there has been “a general deterioration in the behaviour of pupils in primary and secondary schools in Scotland since 2016”. In secondary schools, the behaviour most commonly reported as having the greatest negative impact on the learning experience was students using and looking at mobile phones and tablets when they shouldn’t be. The BISSR said: While the increasing use of mobile phones and social media was identified as an area of concern in the 2016 research, this type of behaviour seems to have increased substantially in the intervening years and was mentioned commonly among by school staff and LA representatives. Primary schools reported fewer issues and concerns around mobile phone and social media use, partly due to the ages of the pupils, though primary school staff did on occasion speak about mobile phone use among upper primary pupils. In secondary schools, mobile phone use was described as a significant challenge across almost all schools visited. Pupils’ use of mobile phones in class was described “a bane” and a source of considerable disruption, with teachers asking pupils to put their phones away potentially leading to conflict from which more serious disruptive behaviour could escalate. […] Social media was also highlighted as a negative influence on pupil behaviour. LA representatives and school staff described instances of pupils videoing fights and incidents among pupils, taking pictures of staff members during classes and pupils under toilet cubicle doors, before sharing them on social media. The use of social media in bullying incidents was also outlined, with school staff describing the way in which social media was inescapable as young people had their phones with them at all times and were accessing social media late into the night.17 • A 2024 OECD report, Students, digital devices and success, found that on average two-thirds of 15-year-olds across OECD countries reported being distracted using digital devices, including phones, in most or every  17  Scottish Government, Behaviour in Scottish schools: research report 2023, November 2023     Mobile phones in schools (England) 7 Commons Library Research Briefing, 9 April 2025 maths class. It said that recent findings from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey indicated “a negative correlation between leisurely digital device use at school and academic performance.”18 However, researchers at King’s College London who analysed the PISA data identified “a curious and contradictory finding” that when gender, social class and school behaviour were controlled for, the data showed that students in schools with phone bans had lower achievement across their PISA test scores than those in schools that allowed phone use.19 • A World Health Organisation study on Teens, screens and mental health in 2024, drawing on a survey of young people aged 11, 13 and 15 across 44 countries and regions in Europe, central Asia and Canada, found: – More than 1 in 10 adolescents (11%) showed signs of problematic social media behaviour, struggling to control their use and experiencing negative consequences. Girls reported higher levels of problematic social media use than boys (13% vs 9%). – Over a third (36%) of young people reported constant contact with friends online, with the highest rates among 15-year-old girls (44%). – A third (34%) of adolescents played digital games daily, with more than 1 in 5 (22%) playing for at least 4 hours on days when they engage in gaming. – 12% of adolescents were at risk of problematic gaming, with boys more likely than girls to show signs of problematic gaming (16% vs 7%).20 • An article in the Lancet in 2025 found that there was “no evidence that restrictive school policies are associated with overall phone and social media use or better mental wellbeing in adolescents,” although more generally the study found associations between increased time spent on phones and social media and lower mental wellbeing.21 A YouGov survey in February 2024 found that 79% of adults in Great Britain agreed that mobile phones probably or definitely should be banned during the school day.   18  OECD, Students, digital devices and success, May 2024 19  BERA, Mobile phone bans in schools: Impact on achievement, 15 February 2024 20  World Health Organisation, Teens, screens and mental health, 25 September 2024 21  Goodyear and others, School phone policies and their association with mental wellbeing, phone use, and social media use (SMART Schools): a cross-sectional observational study, Lancet, April 2025   Disclaimer The Commons Library does not intend the information in our research publications and briefings to address the specific circumstances of any particular individual. 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Mobile phones in schools (England)

Research and analysisChildren missing educationPublished 19 May 2025Applies to EnglandBackgroundIn May 2023, the Department for Education (DfE) published the first statistics,collected from local authorities, on estimated numbers of children missing fromeducation (CME) and elective home-educated (EHE) children. The first academicyear of data provided was 2022/23.However, the quality and reliability of this data relies on local authorities collectingthis information, a process which has not been mandatory previously. For thisreason, we decided to explore whether we could get more realistic estimates ofchildren missing education by comparing the ONS population census from March2021 with the DfE school census from the 2021 spring term (January to February2021).MenuHome Education, training and skills Pupil wellbeing, behaviour and attendanceSchool attendance and absence Children missing education: exploration of census dataContentsBackgroundCaveatsFindingsNext stepsThe census data was acquired through the Integrated Data Service (IDS), providedby the Office for National Statistics (ONS).We compared the numbers of mandatory school age children (those aged 5 to 15 atthe start of the academic year) in the ONS population census from March 2021 withthe DfE school census for the 2020/21 academic year.CaveatsThere are some notable caveats with this data. Firstly, for the DfE school census,the home local authority is only collected for pupils of maintained schools.Therefore, for independent schools, we had to use the local authority of the schoolthat pupils attended as a proxy. There could be some crossover for independentschools if pupils living in one local authority attend school across the border in aneighbouring local authority.Secondly, the data collection time points are slightly different because the ONSpopulation census was collected in March 2021 and the DfE school census forspring 2021 is collected in January to February 2021. Moreover, although filling outthe ONS population census is mandatory, there are still variations in response ratesacross local authorities.We cannot compare the resulting CME estimates directly with those collected by theDfE from each local authority (LA), as these LA collections first started beingcollected in the 2022/23 academic year.FindingsUnfortunately, as shown in the tables published alongside this commentary, somedata quality issues prevent us from using this data for its intended purpose. In somelocal authorities, the number of pupils on roll from the DfE school census is higherthan in the ONS population census. Even after taking elective home-educatedchildren into account, the discrepancies should not be as high as they are. We cansee, from the DfE-published CME and EHE estimates, the approximate number ofEHE children in each local authority. These estimates are from a later time period,but we would not expect them to fluctuate wildly enough year to year to account forHelp us improve GOV.UKTo help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know moreabout your visit today. Please fill in this survey (opensin a new tab).Services and informationBenefitsBirths, death, marriages and careBusiness and self-employedGovernmentactivityDepartmentsNewsGuidance and regulationthese size differences. The discrepancy could be due to several factors, such ascertain local authorities having more children who are not reported in the ONSpopulation census for various reasons.Next stepsMore accurate estimates of CME/ EHE children might become available in future ifthe Children Not in School (Registers, Support and Orders) Bill becomes law. TheBill proposes that local authorities should be required to keep an up-to-date registerof children who are of compulsory school age and are not educated at full-timeschools. The Bill also proposes that local authorities should provide support tohome-educating families if they request it. It would be considered an offense for aperson who is served with a School Attendance Order to fail to comply with thatorder (if the local authority considers the home education to be insufficient).Back to topChildcare and parentingCitizenship and living in the UKCrime, justice and the lawDisabled peopleDriving and transportEducation and learningEmploying peopleEnvironment and countrysideHousing and local servicesMoney and taxPassports, travel and living abroadVisas and immigrationWorking, jobs and pensionsResearch and statisticsPolicy papers andconsultationsTransparencyHow government worksGet involvedHelp  Privacy  Cookies  Accessibility statement  ContactTerms and conditions  Rhestr o Wasanaethau CymraegGovernment Digital ServiceAll content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except whereotherwise stated© Crown copyright

Children missing education : Published 19 May 2025

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Cookies on Explore EducationStatisticsWe use some essential cookies to make thisservice work.We’d also like to use analytics cookies so we canunderstand how you use the service and makeimprovements.Shape the future of Explore education statisticsShare your feedback to help us improve this serviceCloseThis is the latest releasePublished 14 August 2025Next update August 2026Quick linksDownload all data (zip)Release contentsExplore dataHelp and supportRelated information  View cookiesBeta This is a new service – your feedback will help us to improve it.Reporting year 2025Admission appeals in EnglandAccept analytics cookies Reject analytics cookiesExplore education statisticsHome Find statistics and data Admission appeals in EnglandRelease type Accredited official statistics ?ReceiveupdatesSign up for email alertsProduced by Department for EducationThese statistics provide information about appeals madefollowing the refusal of a school place application.Most appeals are made when an applicant has notreceived an offer, via the annual coordinated admissionsprocess, of a place at their first preference school forentry into primary or secondary school. However,appeals relating to other transfers at the start of theschool year are also included. Appeals relating to ‘in-year’ admissions are not included.Appeals relating to community and voluntary controlledschools are collected as aggregated totals by localauthorities. Academy, foundation and voluntary aidedschools provide school level appeal figures via thespring school census.The latest data covers appeals relating to admissions atthe start of the 2024/2025 academic year (reporting year2025). The appeals must have been lodged with theappropriate admissions authority by 1 September 2024.A comparable time series back to the 2015/2016academic year (reporting year 2016) is provided. Thedate referred to in the text is the reporting year. The figures detail the number of appeals lodged, heard(by an appeals panel) and successful. Rates for appealslodged and heard are calculated against an estimate ofthe total number of relevant new admissions based onschool census data. The rate of successful appeals iscalculated as the number successful divided by thenumber heard.Data guidancePre-release access listContact usReleases in this seriesView releases (14)MethodologiesAdmission appeals inEnglandThe figures are provided by school phase, with primaryschools split into infant and other primary classes. Thedata is also presented by school governance type and atnational, regional and local authority level.Search this pageHeadline facts and figures - 2025Primary appeals heard by anappeals panel1.2%Slightly down from 1.3% in 2024, and areturn to 2023 level, representing 8,999appeals heardPrimary successful appeals17.7%Down from 18.1% in 2024 but higher than16.4% in 2023Secondary appeals heard by anappeals panel3.9%Down from 4.2% in 2024 and 4.1% in 2023,representing 29,640 appeals heardSecondary successful appeals19.9%Down from 20.7% in 2024 and 20.9% in20238,999 appeals were heard relating to primary school places for entry in 2025,representing 1.2% of new admissions. This rate has remained stable in recentyears while the number of admissions has fallen from 780k to approximately 755kbetween 2024 and 2025. Both the number of admissions and the number ofappeals are the lowest since the series began in 2016.1,595 primary appeals were successful, representing 17.7% of those heard. Thesuccess rate has varied year on year since the series began, between a low of16.2% in 2021 and a high of 19.7% in 2019 with no overall trend. 29,640 appeals were heard relating to secondary school places for 2025,representing 3.9% of new admissions. This was a decrease from 2024, when32,107 (4.2% of new admissions) appeals were heard. The total number ofsecondary admissions remained virtually unchanged at approximately 757k in2024 and 2025.5,903 secondary appeals were successful, representing 19.9% of those heard.There has been a trend for secondary appeals to be less successful over time,with the success rate declining from 26.3% in 2016 to 19.9% in 2025.Explore data and files used in this releaseAppeals lodgedView or create your own tablesView tables that we have built for you, orcreate your own tables from open datausing our table toolData catalogueBrowse and download open data filesfrom this release in our data catalogueData guidanceLearn more about the data files used inthis release using our online guidanceDownload all data (ZIP)Download all data available in this releaseas a compressed ZIP fileHide all sectionsHideApplicants can lodge appeals for any school they have not been awarded a place in.Appeals can be withdrawn; for example, because the child has been offered a place atthe school via the waiting list.The text of this release refers mainly to the number of appeals which reach the stage ofbeing heard by the appropriate authority. Figures for appeals lodged can be found infiles in the data catalogue and via the table tool. In 2025, 14,584 primary appeals were lodged (equating to approximately 1.9% of totalprimary admissions), and 8,999 (approximately 1.2% of admissions) were heard by anappeals panel. At secondary school phase, 37,289 appeals were lodged(approximately 4.9% of secondary admissions) and 29,640 (approximately 3.9%) wereheard.Go to topAppeals by school typeHideAcademies had the highest rate of appeals heard in 2025 at 2.8%. Historically,academies have consistently had the highest rates of appeals heard, with the ratevarying from 2.8% in 2022 and 2025 to 3.6% in 2020. By contrast, the rate forfoundation schools has varied from 1.9% in 2017 to 2.7% in 2024. Foundation schools had the highest rate of successful appeals in 2025, at 24.1% ofappeals heard. Historically, foundation schools have consistently had the highest ratesof successful appeals, with the rate varying from 24.1% in 2025 to 29.7% in 2016. Bycontrast, the rate for community and voluntary controlled schools has varied from14.8% in 2021 to 19.1% in 2018, and is the lowest in 2025 at 15.6%.As the proportion of schools that are academies continues to grow, the proportion ofappeals accounted for by academies has increased year on year. In 2025, 70.5% ofappeals lodged were for places in academies compared with 69.5% in 2024 and68.0% in 2023. This looks across school phases and does not take account of differences ingovernance type by phase which may explain some variation; for example, if primaryschools are more likely to be community and voluntary controlled than secondary. Number of appeals heard, as a percentage of estimated admissions, andnumber and percentage of appeals heard that were successful 202527,257 2.8 5,526 20.37,375 2.0 1,153 15.61,332 2.5 321 24.12,675 2.5 498 18.638,639 2.6 7,498 19.4Data symbols ?Source: 2025 admissions appeals collection and 2025 spring school censusExplore and edit this data onlineExport optionsAcademyCommunityandvoluntarycontrolledFoundationVoluntaryaidedTotal2025Appealsheard byanappealspanelAppeals heardby an appealspanel(percentage)SuccessfulappealsSuccessfulappeals(percentage)Use our table tool to explore this data.Go to topPrimary appealsHidePrimary and infant classesPrimary admissions and appeals are split between infant (reception and years one andtwo) and other primary classes. Restrictions embodied in the The School Admissions(Infant Class Sizes) (England) Regulations 2012 (opens in a new tab) require infantclasses to be limited to 30 children apart from a number of lawful exceptions. Thisreduces the possibilities of appeals for these year groups. Parents and carers are accordingly less likely to lodge appeals for these year groups(1.3% of admissions vs 4.6% for older primary year groups), less likely to pursue themto a hearing (0.8% vs 2.8%) and less likely to experience a successful outcome (9.7%vs 28.3%). Primary school admissions appeals lodged and heard, and as apercentage of estimated admissions, and the number and percentagesuccessul, by type of primary class 2025Explore dataExport options617,802 137,153 754,9558,250 6,334 14,5841.3 4.6 1.95,128 3,871 8,9990.8 2.8 1.2499 1,096 1,5959.7 28.3 17.7Data symbols ?Source: 2025 admissions appeals collection and 2025 spring school censusExplore and edit this data onlineUse our table tool to explore this data.Primary appeals over timeExplore dataAdmissionsAdmission appeals lodgedby parentsAdmission appeals lodgedby parents (percentage)Appeals heard by an appealspanelAppeals heard by an appealspanel (percentage)Successful appealsSuccessful appeals(percentage)2025Primary(infantclasses)OtherprimaryclassesPrimaryThe proportion of appeals heard decreased from 2.6% in 2016 to 1.2% in 2022 andhas since remained stable. The proportion of appeals that were successful varied overtime between a low of 16.2% in 2021 and a high of 19.7% in 2019 with no overall trend.Note that the underlying data gives breakdowns by primary sub-group. In light ofrelatively small numbers and methodology changes in 2025, caution is advised whencomparing the 2025 rates for other (non-infant) primary appeals lodged and heard withearlier years. See the methodology document for explanation of how estimates ofadmission numbers have been derived for purposes of calculating rates in 2025.Number and rate of primary appeals heard and number and proportion ofthose heard that were successful, 2016 to 2025865,069 841,532 820,620 815,051 812,953 802,67322,820 19,336 16,643 14,086 12,465 11,2392.6 2.3 2.0 1.7 1.54,152 3,494 3,186 2,779 2,310 1,82318.2 18.1 19.1 19.7 18.5 16.2Export optionsPrimary AdmissionsAppealsheard by anappealspanelAppealsheard by anappealspanel(percentage)SuccessfulappealsSuccessfulappeals(percentage)2016 2017 2018 2019 2020Data symbols ?Source: admissions appeals collection (APAD) and spring school censusExplore and edit this data onlineUse our table tool to explore this data.Geographic variations in primary appealsThere is some regional variation in rates of primary appeals heard and success rates.In 2025 the North East region had the lowest rate of appeals heard (0.6%) but thehighest success rate at 34.3%. This was considerably higher than South West regionwith the second highest success rate at 24.9% and joint second lowest rate of appealsheard at 0.7%.Low appeal rates are not always associated with high success rates. The appeal heardrate across London local authorities was 0.7% but the success rate was the lowest ofany region at 6.7%.The overall pattern of regional variation between 2016 and 2025 is consistent. NorthWest, Yorkshire and The Humber, East Midlands and West Midlands have been theregions with the highest rates of primary appeals heard and London has generally hadthe lowest. North East, Yorkshire and The Humber and South West regions havegenerally had the highest successful primary appeal rates, and London has had thelowest. Each year a small number of local authorities hear no primary appeals. City of Londonhas only one primary school with around 30 admissions annually and hears appealsrarely. In 2025 Redcar and Cleveland was the only other LA recording no primaryappeals heard. Of those that recorded hearing at least one appeal, 24 LAs recorded nosuccessful appeals. These included Havering (68 appeals heard), Solihull (46), Brent(37), Greenwich (34) and Luton (24). The others had all heard fewer than 20 appealseach. Explore data1. Select data to viewAppeals heard by an appeals panel (percentage) (Primary, 2025)2. Select a RegionNone selectedTables showing geographic variations over time can be found in the featured tables:appeal rates by region  and number of appeals by LA.Rates of primary appeals heard and proportion of primary appeals heardthat were successful by region 2020 to 2025Rates of primary appeals heard and the proportion of primary appeals heard thatwere successful, English regions 2020 to 2025Chart TableExport optionsKey to Appeals heardby an appeals panel(percentage) (Primary,2025)0.6 to 0.80.9 to 1.11.2 to 1.41.5 to 1.71.8 to 1.9Footnotes1. This map uses the boundary data Regions England BUC 2022/12Source: admissions appeals collection (APAD) and spring school censusExplore and edit this data onlineUse our table tool to explore this data.Explore data+− LeafletGo to topSecondary appealsHideSecondary appeals over timeOverall, the proportion of appeals heard was similar in 2016 (3.6%) and 2025 (3.9%),although it rose as high as 4.9% in 2020 before falling back over subsequent years.The proportion of appeals that were successful has decreased fairly consistently from26.3% in 2016 to 19.9% in 2025. Number and rate of secondary appeals heard and number and proportionof those heard that were successful, 2016 to 2025Export options640,705 674,790 680,200 695,861 724,747 720,28022,964 25,290 27,877 31,769 35,648 29,8713.6 3.7 4.1 4.6 4.96,040 6,220 6,529 7,398 7,90126.3 24.6 23.4 23.3 22.2Data symbols ?Source: admissions appeals collection (APAD) and spring school censusExplore and edit this data onlineUse our table tool to explore this data.Geographic variations in secondary appealsThere is some regional variation in rates of secondary appeals heard and successExplore dataSecondary AdmissionsAppealsheard by anappealspanelAppealsheard by anappealspanel(percentage)SuccessfulappealsSuccessfulappeals(percentage)2016 2017 2018 2019 20201. Select data to viewAppeals heard by an appeals panel (percentage) (Secondary, 2020)2. Select a RegionNone selectedrates. In 2025 the South West region had the lowest rate of appeals heard (2.5%) andthe second highest success rate at 25.3%. The North West region had the highest rateof appeals heard (5.9%) and a mid-range success rate of 19.3%. The highest successrate was 27.6% in North East region, and the lowest was London at 10.1%, driven by anInner London low of 9.6%.The overall pattern of regional variation between 2016 and 2025 is fairly consistent.North West has been consistently the region with the highest rates of secondaryappeals heard, usually followed by South East. East of England and South West havehad consistently the lowest.  The North East and South West generally have the highestsuccessful secondary appeal rates. London has always had the lowest since 2016, withthe successful secondary appeal rate for Inner London mostly lower than OuterLondon.City of London has no secondary schools and therefore records no secondaryappeals. In 2025, no other LA recorded having no secondary appeals heard. Onlythree  LAs recorded having no successful secondary appeals: Reading (63 appealsheard), Westminster (58) and Rutland (13). Tables showing geographic variations over time can be found in the featured tables:appeal rates by region  and number of appeals by LA.Rates of secondary appeals heard and proportion of secondary appealsheard that were successful by region 2020 to 2025Rates of secondary appeals heard and the proportion of secondary appeals heardthat were successful, English regions 2020 to 2025Chart TableExport optionsKey to Appeals heardby an appeals panel(percentage)(Secondary, 2020)2.8 to 3.53.6 to 4.34.4 to 5.15.2 to 5.96.0 to 6.6Footnotes1. This map uses the boundary data Regions England BUC 2022/12Source: admissions appeals collection (APAD) and spring school censusExplore and edit this data onlineUse our table tool to explore this data.Explore data+− LeafletGo to topFurther information availableHideThis release concentrates on the headline figures for the proportion of appeals heardand which were successful by school phase. However, the underlying data providesmore information including:The governance of the school being appealed by school phaseThe number and proportion of appeals initially lodgedA full list of local authority and regional figuresFor data on the outcome of applications for primary and secondary places via the localauthority applications and offers process, see Primary and secondary schoolapplications and offers.Go to topHelp and supportMethodologyFind out how and why we collect, process and publish these statistics.Admission appeals in EnglandAccredited official statisticsThese accredited official statistics have been independently reviewed by the Office forStatistics Regulation (OSR). They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, qualityand value in the Code of Practice for Statistics. Accredited official statistics are calledNational Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.Accreditation signifies their compliance with the authority's Code of Practice forStatistics which broadly means these statistics are:managed impartially and objectively in the public interestmeet identified user needsproduced according to sound methodswell explained and readily accessibleOur statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR).OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice forStatistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet thesestandards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.ukor via the OSR website.Contact usIf you have a specific enquiry about Admission appeals in England statistics and data:Admission appeals statistics teamEmail: admissions.appeals@education.gov.ukContact name: Ann ClaytorPress officeIf you have a media enquiry:Telephone: 020 7783 8300Public enquiriesIf you have a general enquiry about the Department for Education (DfE) or education:Telephone: 037 0000 2288Opening times: Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays)Is this page useful?Cookies Privacy notice Contact us Accessibility statement Glossary Help and supportThis service is maintained by the Department for EducationOur statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR)All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise statedBuild: 20250908.16© Crown copyrightPrint this pageYes NoReport a problem with this page

Reporting year 2025 : Admission appeals in England

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