While children’s time in primary school might not be punctuated by as many high-stakes exams as their secondary years, attending as often as possible is still vital to their future success.
But 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 - still lingers 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.
A recent Department for Education report has demonstrated just how much this matters for a pupil’s outcomes, even in primary school. It found 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 reduces their chances by around 25%.
We’ve taken a look at overall absence rates for state-funded primary schools - including infant and lower schools - across the Dewsbury and Batley parliamentary constituency. Using this data, we’ve created a league table for parents featuring all of the local schools with absence rates below 6% - an outstanding achievement for any school and its community.
Here were the 11 local primary schools that made the grade:
1. Grange Moor Primary School
At the top of the list is this local authority-maintained primary school in the village of Grange Moor. A smaller school, it has about 78 pupils. In the 2023/24 school year, it had a low overall absence rate of just 4.1%. | Google
2. Hanging Heaton Church of England Junior and Infant School
Next up is this local authority-maintained Anglican primary, in the Hanging Heaton area. It has about 133 pupils, with a higher proportion of them meeting Government expectations in reading, writing, and maths than both the local and national averages. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an overall absence rate of 4.7%. | Google
3. Warwick Road Primary School
This is a local authority-maintained primary school in Batley. Another above average academic performer, it has a roll size of about 386. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an overall absence rate of 4.8%. | Google
4. Flockton CofE First School
This is a local authority-maintained Anglican first school in Flockton, which takes pupils from the ages of 4 through to 10. It has a roll size of about 79 pupils. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an overall absence rate of 4.9%. | Google