Attendance Rate

Understanding Attendance Rate

Attendance rate measures the percentage of possible school sessions that students attend. It’s a fundamental indicator of school engagement and is strongly linked to educational outcomes — students who attend regularly achieve better results and are more likely to reach their potential.

How Attendance is Measured

Schools record attendance twice daily (morning and afternoon sessions). The attendance rate is calculated as:

Attendance Rate = (Sessions Attended ÷ Total Possible Sessions) × 100

A student with perfect attendance would have a 100% rate. The national target is for schools to achieve at least 95% attendance.

What the Numbers Mean

• 96%+ attendance: Excellent — missing fewer than 8 days per year
• 95% attendance: Good — the government’s minimum target
• 90-94% attendance: Concerning — indicates emerging attendance issues
• Below 90% attendance: “Persistent absence” — missing nearly 4 weeks per year

Even small differences matter: a student with 90% attendance misses nearly 100 lessons per year — the equivalent of half a term of education.

Why Attendance Matters

Research consistently shows that attendance is one of the strongest predictors of academic success:

• Students with attendance above 95% are significantly more likely to achieve grade 5 or above in English and Maths GCSE
• Those with persistent absence (below 90%) are much less likely to achieve expected standards
• The link between attendance and attainment exists at all ability levels

For Parents

When choosing a school, the overall attendance rate indicates how successfully the school engages students and families. Schools with high attendance typically have: - Strong relationships with families - Effective early intervention for attendance issues - Engaging curriculum and positive school culture

A school’s persistent absence rate (proportion of students below 90% attendance) is also worth considering, as it reveals how many students are significantly disengaged.