Missing too much time in class for any reason can have a big impact on pupil achievement - even in their early, primary school days.
A recent Department for Education report found that pupils who attended school nearly every day in Year 6 were 1.3 times more likely to meet the Government’s expected standards in reading, writing and maths compared to pupils who only attended 90-95% of the time. This means missing just 10 days of school cuts down their chances by around 25%.
But England’s overall school attendance rates could certainly be better. The Government’s latest full absence and attendance figures, covering the full 2023/24 school year show that the overall absence rate - the percentage of half-days missed for all pupils - sits at 7.1%; still well above pre-pandemic figures. One in five pupils were also labelled ‘persistently absent’, meaning they missed at least 10% of these half-day sessions.
As well as looking at how schools across the country fared, we’ve also taken a deep dive into attendance rates for state primary schools in the Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County council areas. Using this data, we’ve created a league table celebrating the schools that have managed to keep their overall absence rates at 3.5% or lower - an achievement any school community should be proud of.
Here were the 13 schools that made the list:
9. Abbey Road Primary School
Abbey Road is a primary academy in West Bridgford. Also an above average performer academically, it has about 429 pupils. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an overall absence rate of 3.5%. | Google
10. Henry Whipple Primary School
Henry Whipple is a local authority-maintained primary school in Nottingham. It has a roll size of about 214 pupils. In the 2023/24 school year, it too had an overall absence rate of 3.5%. | Google
11. Heymann Primary and Nursery School
Another primary academy in West Bridgford, Heymann has about 659 pupils – and boasts a strong academic performance. In the 2023/24 school year, it again had an overall absence rate of 3.5%. | Google
12. North Clifton Primary School
This is a local authority-maintained primary school in the North Clifton village area. A smaller school, it only has about 25 pupils overall. In the 2023/24 school year, it again had an overall absence rate of 3.5%. | Google