| Code | Definition | Scenario |
| / | Present (am) | Pupil is present at morning registration |
| \ | Present (pm) | Pupil is present at afternoon registration |
| L | Late arrival | Pupil arrives late before register has closed |
| B | Off-site educational activity | Pupil is at a supervised off-site educational activity approved by the school |
| K | Attending education provision arranged by the Local Authority | The pupil is attending a place, other than the school or any other school at which they are a registered pupil, for educational provision arranged by a local authority under section 19(1) of the Education Act 1996 (exceptional provision of education), section 42(2), or 61(1) of the Children and Families Act 2014 (special educational provision off site) |
| V | Attending an educational visit or trip | The pupil is attending a place, other than the school or any other school at which they are a registered pupil, for an educational visit or trip arranged by or on behalf of the school and supervised by a member of school staff. The visit or trip must take place during the session for which it is recorded. |
| P | Sporting activity | Pupil is participating in a supervised sporting activity approved by the school |
| W | Attending work experience | Pupil is attending a place for an approved educational activity that is work experience provided under arrangements made by the local authority or school as part of the pupil’s education. |
| D | Dual registered | Pupil is attending a session at another setting where they are also registered |
| C | Authorised leave of absence | Pupil has been granted a leave of absence due to exceptional circumstances |
| C1 | Leave of absence for the purpose of participating in a regulated performance or undertaking regulated employment abroad | All schools can grant leaves of absence for pupils to undertake employment (paid or unpaid) during school hours (see additional detail under regulation 11(2) |
| C2 | Leave of absence for a compulsory school age pupil subject to a part-time timetable | All pupils of compulsory school age are entitled to a full-time education. In very exceptional circumstances, where it is in a pupil’s best interests, there may be a need for a temporary part-time timetable to meet their individual needs in line with paragraphs 67 – 70. |
| M | Leave of absence for the purpose of attending a medical or dental appointment | Pupil is at a medical or dental appointment and the appointment could not have been made out of school hours |
| G | Holiday not granted by the school | The school has not granted a leave of absence and the pupil is absent for the purpose of a holiday. A school cannot grant a leave of absence retrospectively. If the parent did not apply in advance, leave of absence should not be granted |
| N | Reason for absence not yet established | When the reason for absence has not yet been established before the register closes, the absence must be recorded with Code N Where absence is recorded as code N (reason not yet established) in the attendance register, the correct absence code should be entered as soon as the reason is ascertained, but no more than 5 school days after the session (regulation 10(7) to (9)). Code N must not therefore be left on the pupil’s attendance record indefinitely; if a reason for absence cannot be established within 5 school days, schools must amend the pupil’s record to Code O |
| O | Absent in other or unknown circumstances | Where no reason for absence is established or the school is not satisfied that the reason given is one that would be recorded using one of the codes statistically classified as authorised. |
| U | Arrived in school after registration closed | Where a pupil has arrived late after the register has closed but before the end of session |
| # | Planned whole school closure | Whole school closure that are known and planned in advance such as: Half terms Days between terms |
| J1 | Leave of absence for the purpose of attending and interview for employment or for admission to another educational institution | Pupil attending interview or for admission to another educational establishment |
| S | Leave of absence for the purpose of studying for a public examination | Leave has to be agreed in advance with parents/carers who the pupil normally lives with. (See further detail in DfE guidance) |
| X | Non-compulsory school age pupil not required to attend school | Pupil of non-compulsory school age is not required to attend |
| T | Parent travelling for occupational purposes | The pupil is a mobile child, and their parent(s) is travelling in the course of their trade or business and the pupil is travelling with them. A mobile child is a child of compulsory school age who has no fixed abode and whose parent(s) is engaged in a trade or business of such a nature as to require them to travel from place to place |
| R | Religious observance | Pupil is taking part in a day of religious observance |
| I | Illness (not medical or dental) | School has been notified that a pupil will be absent due to illness |
| E | Suspended or permanently excluded | Pupil has been excluded but no alternative provision has been made |
| Q | Unable to attend school because of unavoidable cause | Unable to attend the school because of a lack of access arrangements |
| Y1 | Unable to attend due to transport normally provided not being available | The pupil is unable to attend because the school is not within walking distance of their home and the transport to and from the school that is normally provided for the pupil by the school or local authority is not available. |
| Y2 | Unable to attend due to widespread disruption to travel | Pupil is unable to attend school due to widespread disruption to travel caused by local, national or international emergency |
| Y3 | Unable to attend due to part of the school premises being closed | Part of the school premises is unavoidably out of use, and the pupil is one of those that the school considers cannot practicably be accommodated in those part of the premises that remain in use |
| Y4 | Unable to attend due to the whole school site being unexpectedly closed | Where a school was planned to be open for a session, but the school is closed unexpectedly, the attendance register is not taken as usual because there is no school session |
| Y5 | Unable to attend as pupil is in criminal justice detention | The pupil is unable to attend the school because they are: • in police detention, • remanded to youth detention, awaiting trial or sentencing, or • detained under a sentence of detention |
| Y6 | Unable to attend in accordance with public health guidance or law | The pupil’s travel to or attendance at the school would be: contrary to any guidance relating to the incidence or transmission of infection or disease published by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care or prohibited by any legislation relating to the incidence or transmission of infection or disease. |
| Y7 | Unable to attend because of any other unavoidable cause | An unavoidable cause, that is not covered by one of the other ‘unable to attend’ codes detailed above, is preventing the pupil from attending the school |
| Z | Pupil not on admission register | Register set up but pupil has not yet joined the school |
