Parents probably know all too well that in order for children to get the most out of their education, they need to attend school as often as possible.
But across England, absence rates don’t really reflect the importance of good attendance. The Government’s latest 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 a lofty 7.1%, well above pre-pandemic figures. One in five pupils were also ‘persistently absent’, meaning they missed at least 10% of these half-day sessions.
A recent Department for Education report has highlighted just how much these absences add up, even at a primary school level. It 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 their chances by around 25%.
We’ve taken a deep dive into how state-funded primary schools - including infant and junior schools - across the Portsmouth, Southampton, and Hampshire County council areas did when it came to pupils missing class for any reason over the last academic year. We’ve used this data to create a league table celebrating the success of local school communities who’ve kept their absence rates low.
Here were the 14 Hampshire schools that led the pack:
5. Clatford Church of England Primary School
This is a local authority-maintained primary school in Goodworth Clatford, just south of Andover. It has about 206 pupils, and a higher-than-average rate of pupils meeting expected standards. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an overall absence rate of 3.1%. | Google
6. Lockerley Church of England Endowed Primary School
This is a local authority-maintained Anglican primary school in Butt’s Green, Lockerley, with about 73 pupils. In the 2023/24 school year, it also had an overall absence rate of 3.1%. | Google
7. Scantabout Primary School
This is a local authority-maintained primary school in Chandler’s Ford, Eastleigh. It has about 215 pupils, with a high proportion meeting expected reading, writing, and maths standards. In the 2023/24 school year, it once again had an overall absence rate of 3.1%. | Google
8. Ashford Hill Primary School
This is a primary academy in the village of Ashford Hill, near Tadley. Another above average performer, it has about 112 pupils. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an overall absence rate of 3.2%. | Google