The absence rate for 41 primary schools in Portsmouth - and why attendance is so important for children

As most parents will know, it is crucial for students to attend school as often as possible to get the most out of their education.

The Government’s latest absence and attendance figures, covering the full 2023/24 school year, show the overall absence rate across the country has decreased from 7.4 per cent in 2022/23 to 7.1 per cent in 2023/24. The new data also highlights that ‘across school phases’ the overall absence between 2022/23 and 2023/24 ‘decreased in primary schools from 5.9 per cent to 5.5 per cent.’

The Department for Education has recently published a report highlighting the significant impact school absences can have on a student’s performance. It outlined that students who attended almost every day throughout their final year of primary school were 1.3 times more likely to meet the Government’s expected standards in reading, writing and maths when they sit their SATs exams. This is compared to those who only attended 90-95 per cent of the time.

The News has taken a deep dive into how primary schools - including infant and junior schools - across the Portsmouth have fared when it comes to pupils missing class for any reason over the last academic year. We have used data provided by the Department of Education to create a league table with some of the highest and lowest absence rates at primary schools across Portsmouth.

Note: This data for some independent and special schools is not always accessible.

Discover the absence rate for 41 primary schools in Portsmouth: