As schools in Surrey prepare to reopen, Department for Education data indicates that pupil absence rates in the county remain above pre-pandemic levels. In the autumn term of 2025, Surrey pupils missed 5.8% of school sessions. This figure is lower than the national average but exceeds the county's 2019 rate of 4.3%.
During the same period, 15.1% of pupils were classified as persistently absent, meaning they missed more than one in ten school sessions. The absence rate in Surrey had peaked at 7.0% in 2022.
Aoife Kearney-Grieve, a cognitive behavioural therapist at Mindworks Surrey, an NHS-led mental health service, stated that anxiety is a contributing factor to school absences. She noted that Covid-19 had a significant impact, particularly on children in developmental stages, affecting socialisation and understanding of school.
Mindworks Surrey has launched its 'Small Steps Back to School' campaign, which provides practical advice for common back-to-school concerns, including tips for handling first-day anxiety.