80.0%
New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
% · 2025
Use the same exceptions basis for all comparisons. Excluding exceptions is the DfE release headline.
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SEND and school attendance
Persistent absence means a pupil has missed at least one in ten possible school sessions. The phase-specific figures below should not be compared with an all-school rate. Southampton City Council is responsible for its local EHCP process.
What the evidence says
Schools · city council
41.9
Average Attainment 8 score
School-location measure. DfE outcomes as reported by Southampton Data Observatory.
Southampton Data Observatory / DfE · 2025
Checked 3 October 2026Who can help?
Southampton City Council
Schools, SEND and social care
Start with your school for day-to-day support. Southampton’s children and families service provides admissions, SEND, EHCP and social-care information.
Open official service → More helpCheck the detail
| Measure | Southampton / area | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persistent absence — primary | 15.99% % · Southampton | 2024/25 | Department for Education |
| Persistent absence — primary | 12.99% % · England | 2024/25 | Department for Education |
| Persistent absence — secondary | 27.21% % · Southampton | 2024/25 | Department for Education |
| Persistent absence — secondary | 23.37% % · England | 2024/25 | Department for Education |
| Average Attainment 8 score | 41.9 points · Southampton | 2025 | Southampton Data Observatory / DfE |
More verified figures
74.6%
New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks — including exceptions
% · 2025
Use the same exceptions basis for all comparisons. Excluding exceptions is the DfE release headline.
2,945
Active education, health and care plans
plans · January 2026
Includes early years, further education and children educated elsewhere. This is not the number or share of school pupils with an EHC plan.
4.9%
16–17 year olds known to be NEET
% · 2026
Average of December 2025, January 2026 and February 2026 returns. DfE management information: local authority tracking completeness varies. Unknown activity must not be presented as confirmed NEET. National rates are published rounded to one decimal; local rates shown to one decimal for consistent presentation.
21.40%
Persistent absence — all school types
% · 2024/25
3.36%
Severe absence — all school types
% · 2024/25