Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the reasons that children are not in school; and to what extent those reasons vary for children with (a) autism, (b) ADHD and (c) other mental health challenges.

For pupils on the roll of schools, information on pupil absence by Special Educational Need (SEN) primary type of need for academic years up to 2021/22 is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england/2021-22.

Information of SEN primary type of need by reason for absence, and showing a number of sessions of absence is available in a table via a link available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/629fb83a-be3d-4afd-fae3-08dbf5f3097e. This table includes Autistic Spectrum Disorder which is not specifically collected as an individual category.

The department also collects data on children missing education (CME). As defined in the Section 436A of the Education Act 1996, CME are children of compulsory school age  who are not registered pupils at a school and are not receiving suitable education otherwise than at a school. More information on data linked to CME are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-missing-education.

Further data on the number of children who are electively home educated, including the primary reason given for electively home educating are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/d01bfff8-6b30-4be6-fb06-08dbf5f3097e.