Even in their early primary school days, getting as much time in class as possible is vital for young people building up their essential school skills.
A recent Department for Education report found that primary 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 shaves down their chances by around 25%.
Yet England’s overall school attendance rates could be better. 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 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.
Using official data, we’ve taken a look at state-funded primary schools across the Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council are, to see which have the lowest rates of pupils missing class for any reason. We’ve only included schools with an absence rate below 4.5% - including infant and junior schools - a figure any school community should be proud to achieve.
Here were the 17 Rotherham schools that came out on top:
1. Wickersley Northfield Primary School
At the top of the list is this primary academy in Wickersley. It has a roll size of about 443, and a notably higher proportion of its pupils meeting the Government’s expected standards in reading, writing, and maths than both the local and national average. In the 2023/24 school year, it had a low overall absence rate of just 3.9%. | Google
2. Aston Fence Junior and Infant School
This is a local authority-maintained primary school in the village of Woodhouse Mill, near Swallownest. Another above average performer academically, it has about 207 pupils. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an overall absence rate of 4%. | Google
3. Anston Greenlands Primary School
This is a primary academy in North Anston, with a roll size of about 214. It too had a better-than-average proportion of its pupils meet key performance targets. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an overall absence rate of 4.1%. | Google
4. Ravenfield Primary Academy
As its name might suggest, this is a primary academy in the Ravenfield village area. It has about 196 pupils, and boasts an above average academic performance. In the 2023/24 school year, it too had an overall absence rate of 4.1%. | Google