Mental health experts have criticised a lack of action by the government to tackle underlying issues behind persistent school absences such as poor emotional wellbeing and poverty.
Nearly half of teachers say their job is made harder - by pupils not coming to school dailystar.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailystar.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
And a report has shown that 150,000 school children across the UK are now classed as severely absent - with one in five missing school at least 10% of the time