Leeds parents likely won’t be surprised to learn that some of the city’s top performing schools also have some of the best rates of children showing up for class.
Last week, the Government released its latest absence and attendance figures, covering the full 2023/24 school year. Despite showing a small improvement on the year before, the overall absence rate - the percentage of half-days missed for all pupils - still lingered well above pre-pandemic figures. One in five pupils were also labelled ‘persistently absent’, meaning they are missing at least 10% of these half-day sessions.
Another new Department for Education report has highlighted just how much it could be impacting these young people’s attainment. It found that pupils who attended school nearly every day in Year 11 were almost twice as likely to achieve a Grade 5 in their English and Maths GCSEs, compared to those who only attended 90 to 95% of the time. This means that missing just 10 days of school reduced the likelihood of getting a strong pass by around 50%.
Included with the Government’s attendance figures was the absence data for each state-funded secondary school in England. This meant we were able to see which schools had the country’s lowest overall absence rates, as well as the top schools in Yorkshire as a whole for attendance.
With more than 40 state secondary schools in Leeds alone - excluding private and special schools - we’ve also taken a look at how the city council area’s schools fared when it came to pupils attending class, and making the most of their education. We’ve only included those with absence rates below 7.5% - a fantastic achievement for school communities and families alike.
Here were the 11 local secondary schools that made the cut:
7. The Ruth Gorse Academy
The Ruth Gorse Academy is a secondary school in the central Leeds Dock area, and is one of Yorkshire’s top performing secondary schools overall. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an absence rate of 6.91%. | Google
8. Allerton Grange School
Allerton Grange is a secondary school and sixth form in the Moortown area. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an absence rate of 7.08%. | Google
9. Allerton High School
This is a high-performing secondary school and sixth form in Alwoodley, to the north of the city. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an absence rate of 7.29%. | Google
10. The Morley Academy
Yet another strong academic performer, this is a secondary school and sixth form in Morley. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an absence rate of 7.33%. | Google
11. Rodillian Academy
Rounding out the list as the last Leeds school with an absence rate below 7.5% is Rodillian Academy, a secondary school and sixth form in Lofthouse - south of the city. It again boasts an ‘above average’ Progress 8 score for GCSE results. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an absence rate of 7.46%. | Google