Why high attendance matters
Learning with peers, enjoying sport and music, building relationships with adults beyond their families, and building friendships are all building blocks of well-being and a good life.
Being around teachers and friends in a school or college environment is the best way for pupils to learn and reach their potential. Time in school also keeps children safe and provides access to extra-curricular opportunities and pastoral care.
Every moment in school counts and days missed add up quickly. For example, a child in Year 10 who is absent for three days over a half term could miss 15 lessons in total (half a week).
The higher a pupil’s attendance, the more they are likely to learn, and the better they are likely to perform in exams and formal assessments.
The data for secondary school education shows that:
- Pupils with higher attainment at KS4 had lower levels of absence over the key stage compared to those with lower attainment.
- Pupils who did not achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2019 had an overall absence rate of 4.7% over the key stage, compared with 3.5% among pupils who achieved the expected standard and 2.7% among those who achieved the higher standard.
- Pupils who did not achieve grade 9 to 4 in English and maths GCSEs in 2019 had an overall absence rate of 8.8% over the key stage, compared with 5.2% among pupils who achieved a grade 4 and 3.7% among pupils who achieved grade 9 to 5 in both English and maths.
- Generally, the higher the percentage of sessions missed across KS4, the lower the level of attainment at the end of the key stage.
- Among pupils with no missed sessions over KS4, 83.7% achieved grades 9 to 4 in English and maths compared to 35.6% of pupils who were persistently absent.
Resources to support high attendance
Please click on the links below to see the support on offer:
Leave of absence in term time – Frequently asked questions
Penalty Notices Fact sheet – Durham County Council
Department for Education – Working together to improve school attendance
Supporting School Attendance – NHS Trust
Family Hubs and Start for Life programme in County Durham
