Overview
- New polling of 2,000 UK parents by Bett/Perspectus Global reports 75% have permitted an emotional day off, with 49% doing so regularly and 26% once or twice.
- Among families that allow it, children take an average of six mental-health days off school each year.
- Nine in ten parents say their child’s mental health matters more than attendance, and many arrange activities on those days such as visiting family (43%), sports (16%), concerts (13%) or the cinema (11%).
- Parental norms have shifted since the pandemic, with 32% more relaxed about absence and 57% willing to book term‑time holidays.
- The Department for Education cites research linking frequent absence to poorer adult outcomes, reports the biggest attendance improvement in a decade with expanded mental‑health support teams, and the government plans AI‑set minimum attendance targets from next year.