This study looked at over 1.4 million children in England and found that young people with long-term health conditions are far more likely to miss school for a month or more in a year, be excluded, or not enrolled at all compared to their peers. Notably, about a quarter of 15- to 16-year-olds with a chronic health condition missed that much school, almost double the rate of peers without such conditions.

The research suggests that simply setting attendance targets without providing adequate support may unfairly penalise students whose absences are driven by health, rather than choice. It calls for school systems to adapt their attendance and inclusion policies to recognise and respond to the needs of students with chronic health conditions.

Full article here: https://academic.oup.com/jpubhealth/article/47/3/414/8155220