School attendance falls after England's World Cup triumph over Mexico
Around 300,000 children were absent from school on Monday morning, initial data suggests
Classroom attendance fell on Monday morning after England's late-night win against Mexico in the World Cup.
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School registers fell by 332,000 compared to the previous Monday, after the Three Lions' stunning 3-2 victory in the Azteca Stadium, following a game that didn't begin until 2am BST.
It comes after England's head coach Thomas Tuchel, encouraged parents to "write an excuse for school and let them watch football" following Sunday's game.
Initial data, yet to be verified by the Department for Education (DfE), from more than 12,000 state schools in England suggests several parents followed his instructions.
Attendance was down by three percentage points to 89.79%, compared to 93.09% last Monday.
Adjusted for DfE figures to match the pupil population, the data suggest about 332,000 fewer children attended school on Monday.
Older pupils were less likely to show up at school, with Year 9 attendance down by more than 10 percentage points.
However, reception attendance only fell by 1.4 percentage points. The data excludes Year 11 and 13 pupils who had already left following exams.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “The World Cup is bringing the whole country together, and schools are at the heart of that celebration. There’s no better place for children to share in the excitement, cheer together and create lasting memories with their friends.
“It’s fantastic to see schools marking the occasion with screenings, football tournaments and other events – and great to know so many children came in today ready to be part of it all.
“We encourage every school to bring the buzz of the tournament into the classroom, and every parent to make sure their child is in attendance to enjoy it.”
It comes after Tuchel called on parents to let their children miss school following England's clash with Mexico in the early hours of Monday morning.
Speaking after the Congo victory, Tuchel said: "Write an excuse for school and let them watch football.
"Come on. There’s so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years. Let them watch.
"There will be a big, big match on in four days and we need the support of everyone, and especially of the children."