ONE in 10 pupils are missing school because they feel unsafe, shocking research published today suggests.

In a class of 30 children, this could mean that three pupils are skipping lessons “for safeguarding reasons,” according to a report from school support service The Key and survey provider Edurio.

In a foreword to the study, England’s children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza warned that the young people affected are “at risk of disengaging completely.”

The review, which features data collected from nearly 70,000 pupils aged between seven and 18, suggests that a quarter of children have felt “fairly safe or not safe” at school in the last six months.

Most said it is mainly other young people in corridors and playgrounds that are making them feel in danger.

Nearly nine in 10 pupils report feeling safe online, higher than the three-quarters who do so in school.

Dame Rachel said that the findings should “serve as a road map for school leaders to have a conversation with their pupils and staff” to identify any areas of concern around safety.

She said: “It is testament to the hard work of school staff who support their students and build caring school communities that 75 per cent of children feel safe in school. 

“However, that leaves a quarter of children — that’s eight in every class of 30 — who don’t feel safe.”

Geoff Barton, head of school leaders’ union ASCL, said: “No pupil should feel unsafe in school, and schools work very hard to ensure all their pupils are able to learn and socialise in a safe and supportive environment.

“Schools take these matters extremely seriously, and we would encourage any pupil, parent or carer to raise any concerns with their school.”