The 15 state secondary schools with the lowest absence rates in West Yorkshire - and why parents should care

Some of West Yorkshire’s highest-performing secondary schools have demonstrated that they also shine in another measure - supporting strong attendance.

The Government has now released full absence and attendance figures for 2023/24 school year. Across the country, one in five pupils were labelled ‘persistently absent’, meaning they missed at least 10% of half-day sessions in class. On top of that, the overall absence rate - the percentage of half-days missed for all pupils - remains considerably higher than before the pandemic.

Another new Department for Education report highlights just how much of a difference missing school can make to pupil attainment. It found those 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 attended 90 to 95% of the time. This means missing just 10 days of school cuts 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. We’ve taken a look at how West Yorkshire’s more than 130 secondary schools did - excluding private and special schools - across the Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield council areas.

These schools have exceptionally low rates of absences for any reason, a particularly impressive feat considering that some local schools have overall absence rates nearing 20%. It is worth noting that while middle schools have been excluded, we have included all-through schools if pupils sit their GCSEs there - but their attendance rates may also include primary pupils.

Here were the 15 West Yorkshire schools which came out on top: