.jpeg?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=70&enable=upscale)
For children to benefit as much as possible from their primary education, regular school attendance is a must.
Yet the Government’s latest absence and attendance figures, covering the full 2023/24 school year, show that the overall national 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 ‘persistently absent’, meaning they missed at least 10% of these half-day sessions.
A recent Department for Education report has shown just how disruptive these absences can be - even in the primary school years. It found that 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 peers who only attended 90-95% of the time. This means missing just 10 days of school cuts their chances by around 25%.
We’ve taken a look at how the more than 120 primary schools across the Wakefield Council area stacked up, when it came to pupils missing class for any reason. Using this data, we’ve then created a league table celebrating the local state-funded primaries (including infant and junior schools) which have kept absence rates especially low.
Here are the 15 that came out on top:
7. South Ossett Infant Academy
This is an academy infant school in South Osset, which takes pupils from the ages of 3 to 7. It has about 89 pupils. In the 2023/24 school year, it too had an overall absence rate of 3.9%. | Google
8. Walton Primary Academy
As its name might suggest, this is a primary academy in the Walton area. A larger school, it has about 350 pupils. In the 2023/24 school year, it again had an overall absence rate of 3.9%. | Google
9. West Bretton Junior and Infant School
This is a local authority-maintained primary school in the village of West Bretton, with about 117 pupils. An above average rate of its Year 6s met reading, writing, and maths targets last year. In the 2023/24 school year, it also had an overall absence rate of 3.9%. | Google
10. Ossett Southdale Church of England Junior School
This is a local authority-maintained Anglican junior school in Ossett, for pupils aged 7 to 11. It has a roll size of about 337, with a high rate of pupils meeting Government reading, writing, and maths standards. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an overall absence rate of 4%. | Google
11. Outwood Primary Academy Bell Lane
This is a primary academy in Ackworth Moor Top, another high performer with about 320 pupils. In the 2023/24 school year, it too had an overall absence rate of 4%. | Google
12. Outwood Primary Academy Lofthouse Gate
This is a primary academy in the Lofthouse area. It has a roll size of about 451, and an above average performance academically. In the 2023/24 school year, it again had an overall absence rate of 4%. | Google