Attendance codes

Also called Register codes, Authorised absence, Unauthorised absence

The single letters in the register that decide whether an absence counts against you.

What it is

Schools must record attendance twice a day using a national set of codes. The ones that matter most to families:

**/ and \\** present at morning and afternoon registration. **L** late but before the register closed. **I** illness. **M** medical or dental appointment. **C** authorised leave of absence granted by the school. **B** off-site educational activity. **X** not required to attend. **O** unauthorised absence — the code that counts against you. **U** arrived after the register closed, which is recorded as an unauthorised absence for the session.

Where it applies

Every pupil of compulsory school age at a state school, and independent schools must keep an admission register too.

How it works

Only the school can authorise an absence. A parent can explain an absence; they cannot authorise it, and this distinction is behind most disputes.

Illness is normally authorised on a parent's word. Schools can ask for medical evidence where absence is frequent, but statutory guidance says they should not routinely demand it — GPs are not required to provide notes and often charge.

The **U** code is worth watching. A child who arrives at 9.35 when the register closed at 9.30 is marked absent for the whole morning.

What you can ask for

Ask for a printout of the attendance record with codes, not just a percentage. The pattern — which sessions, which days — is usually the whole story.

If illness absences are being coded unauthorised, ask on what basis and ask for it in writing.

If your child is repeatedly late because of a disability or a transport problem, ask for the arrival time to be adjusted as a reasonable adjustment rather than accruing U codes.

Where to get help

The school's attendance lead. DfE's "Working together to improve school attendance" guidance is the source and is statutory.