Exploratory analysis of inter-connected factors related to secondary school absenteeism: Caregivers’ perspectives

• International interdisciplinary research team. • Ecosystemic approach examining caregivers’ perspectives of pupils' absence factors. • Absence increases with age, SEND, exclusion, and caregivers views of school system. • National policies should address overlapping issues outside education. Secondary school absenteeism in the UK arises from complex, interconnected issues within and beyond school systems, making it difficult for some pupils to attend full-time. This study adopted an ecosystemic approach to examine factors related to pupils' absence from caregivers’ perspectives. Caregivers ( N = 198) completed online surveys. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine how school participation, absenteeism, pupil and caregiver characteristics, and caregivers’ attitudes predict absenteeism severity among UK pupils aged 11–16. Results show that habitual absence increases with age, particularly for pupils with co-occurring conditions, those who faced exclusion, and caregivers who are doubtful about the benefits of education. The beliefs held by some caregivers that school do not constitute part of the solution may result in insufficient support for students' reintegration into the school, thereby perpetuating absenteeism. National policies should address overlapping issues outside education that contribute to the resource gap for pupils facing attendance barriers.