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Dr Hanna Creese, Research Fellow at the Mohn Centre for Children's Health and Wellbeing, shares her work and experience of rethinking school absence through young people’s eyes.

As part of an Administrative Data Research UK Fellowship, I have been considering a question that sounds straightforward but is anything but: Why do some young people find it so hard to go to school?

After the Covid-19 pandemic, there was an expectation that school attendance would slowly return to normal, that young people would settle back into routines, and classrooms would refill. However, the recovery has been uneven. Across the UK, many young people are still struggling to attend school consistently, and persistent absence has become a much bigger concern than many anticipated.

In my research on the health and socioeconomic factors linked to school absence, it became clear that data alone can only tell part of the story. To understand what’s really going on, it helps to hear directly from young people about what school feels like for them and what might make it difficult to attend.

I worked with a small group of young people from Step Out Mentoring in London, all of whom have experience of difficulties with school. What stood out early on was how interconnected their experiences were. Attendance was not just about motivation or behaviour; it was shaped by a range of factors in their lives.

A few themes came up consistently in our conversations.

Mental health was one. Some described feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or unable to cope with school’s demands. In those situations, attending school could feel like facing something emotionally exhausting rather than routine.

Bullying was another. Concerns about being judged, excluded, or targeted made school feel like an unsafe space for some, and over time, that can make staying away feel like the easier option.

There were also challenges beyond school itself. Some young people spoke about difficulties at home, experiences of community violence, or responsibilities such as caring for family members. These factors can have a direct impact on whether attending school feels manageable on any given day.

Physical health and disability also played a role. Where support or flexibility was limited, simply getting through the school day could be difficult.

One thing that came through clearly is that these issues often overlap. A young person might be dealing with anxiety alongside bullying or managing health needs while also taking on responsibilities at home. When several pressures build up at once, regular attendance can become harder to maintain.

Taking part in these discussions shifted how I think about school absence. Analysing the data alone does not capture the complexity behind individual experiences.

Together with the young people, we have co-created an animation based on these themes. The idea was to present their perspectives in a way that’s easy to engage with and useful for starting conversations, whether in classrooms or more widely.

At the very least, this work highlights the value of including young people’s views in discussions about attendance. Their perspectives add important context to the data and help build a clearer picture of what’s going on.