For many pupils, reaching their full academic potential means that they need to make the most of their time in school - and going to class as often as possible is a good place to start.
The Government’s full attendance figures for the most recent 2023/24 school year have now been released, which point to a lingering issue. England’s overall absence rate - the percentage of half-days missed for all pupils - remains well above pre-pandemic figures, while 1 in 5 children were labelled ‘persistently absent’, meaning they miss at least 10% of these half-day sessions.
This year’s GCSE exam season is now well underway. But when it comes to exams, a recent Department for Education report has shown that these absences add up. It found that pupils who attended school nearly every day in Year 11 were almost twice as likely to achieve a Grade 5 in their English and Maths GCSEs as those who only attended 90 to 95% of the time. This means missing just 10 days of school slashes the likelihood of getting a strong pass by around 50%.
Included with the attendance figures was the absence data for each state-funded secondary school in the country. Using this, we have taken a closer look into how schools in the Hampshire County Council area have done - as well as the Portsmouth and Southampton City council areas - when it comes to pupils missing class for any reason.
We’ve only included schools with absence rates of 7% or lower, excluding private and special schools. While this alone is an incredible feat for any school community, parents might also notice that many schools on the list also ranked among Hampshire’s top performers in the last GCSE exam season.
Here were the 12 local secondary schools that came out on top for attendance:
9. Horndean Technology College
This is a local authority-maintained secondary school in Horndean. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an absence rate of 6.61%. | Google
10. St Mark's Church of England School
St Mark’s is a local authority-maintained Anglican all-through school in Shirley, Southampton, which has only recently started taking secondary-aged pupils. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an absence rate of 6.66%. | Google
11. Bohunt School
Bohunt is a secondary academy in the village of Liphook, East Hampshire - and another ‘well above average’ performer. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an absence rate of 6.75%. | Google
12. The Burgate School and Sixth Form
Rounding out the list as the last Hampshire school with an absence rate under 7% is this secondary academy and sixth form in Fordingbridge. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an absence rate of about 6.8%. | Google