The worst colleges within the nation for attendance have been revealed, with unauthorised absences reaching as much as 17% in some areas.
The variety of unauthorised absences has not but returned to pre-pandemic ranges (Picture: Getty)
Unauthorised absences at colleges throughout the UK fell for the second time in a row final yr – however the charges of truancy are far larger at some colleges than others. Pupils at state-funded secondaries in England missed the equal of round one in 12 days by way of unauthorised absences within the 2024/25 educational yr. That price of 8.4% misplaced “faculty periods”, to make use of the official time period, was down from 8.9% in 2023/24 and 9% in each 2022/23 and 2021/22.
Nonetheless, it stays larger than pre-pandemic ranges, when simply 5.5% of periods had been misplaced to unauthorised absences. The speed of persistent absence – pupils lacking 10% or extra of their lessons – additionally fell to 18.14% in 2024/25 from 19.95% the yr earlier than, although nonetheless stays far above 10.86% in 2018/19. Yorkshire as an entire – South and West – particularly dominates the undesirable rankings.
Information from the Division for Training has revealed the faculties with the best unauthorised absence price, with Fir Vale Academy in Sheffield topping the listing and lots of the high-rankers additionally based mostly in northern England.
Fir Vale Academy in Sheffield topped the listing for unauthorised absences final yr (Picture: Getty)
Pupils at Fir Vale missed the equal of 1 in each six periods by way of unauthorised absences within the 2024/25 educational yr, a proportion of 17.1%.
The Co-op Academy in Leeds got here in second place, with some 13.3% of periods misplaced to unauthorised absences within the 2024/25 educational yr, equal to almost one in each eight periods.
Saint Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy in Knowsley had the subsequent highest price at 13.1%.
It was adopted by The Basildon Higher Academy in Essex at 12.8%, Alsop Excessive College in Liverpool at 12.7%, Leeds East Academy in Leeds at 12.5% and Aylesbury UTC in Buckinghamshire at 12.3%.
Utilizing our interactive desk beneath, you’ll find the unauthorised absence price of each state-funded secondary faculty in England.
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There have been 5,100 extra pupils classed as “severely absent” this yr, that means they missed 50% or extra of their periods – a rise primarily pushed by pupils with particular instructional wants and disabilities (SEND).
The Authorities set out sweeping SEND reforms in February, aimed toward making the system extra inclusive, and has set a goal for kids to be attending 20 million extra days of faculty every year in 2028/29 in contrast with 2023/24.
It has additionally created 93 hubs aimed toward supporting round 3,000 colleges throughout the nation with enhancing attendance and behavior.
A DfE spokesperson stated: “Each baby deserves to be at school, studying and thriving. We’ve got made actual progress – absence is down and protracted absence has plummeted with over 225,000 extra kids attending faculty virtually day-after-day.
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“However we all know there’s extra to do, notably for kids with SEND. We’ve got launched the largest reform to the SEND system in a technology with work already underway, making certain kids get the appropriate assist earlier, in a college close to them.
“Mixed with free breakfast golf equipment, psychological well being assist groups, and our attendance and behavior hubs, we’re tackling the foundation causes of absence and constructing a system the place each baby, no matter their background or wants, can obtain and thrive.”
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