29-05-2025
Find out your Fife school's attendance rate as more than 1 in 3 children 'persistently absent'
With more than 1 in 3 schoolchildren 'persistently absent', improving attendance is a priority for Fife schools.
Absence has increased over the last decade and the number of children missing at least 10% of their school days has soared since Covid.
In this analysis of Fife schools' attendance, we detail the attendance rate of every primary and secondary school.
You can find your local school in our table at the bottom of this article.
We also look at the downward trend in attendance at Fife primary and secondary schools, mirroring the picture nationwide.
And we examine the escalation in recent years of persistent absence – pupils with less than 90% attendance.
Finally we ask what is being done to tackle this issue.
Overall, attendance has fallen at Fife schools over the last decade. There was a slight improvement in primary schools last year.
Attendance for the last full academic year – 2023/24 – was 87.2% at secondary schools and 91.5% in primary schools.
The secondary schools with the poorest attendance are:
Primary schools with the lowest attendance are:
Absence includes sickness, family holidays, being on a part-time timetable, truancy and temporary exclusion.
Since schools closed during Covid lockdowns persistent absence has rocketed.
That is where an individual pupil misses 10% or more of the school year, equivalent to at least 19 days or a day each fortnight.
Attainment and achievement is affected when pupils' attendance falls below 90%, according to Education Scotland.
Poor attendance is also linked with poorer peer relationships, poorer employment opportunities and emotional and behavioural difficulties.
An investigation by Education Scotland in 2023 amid 'system-wide concern' found pupils living in poverty, with additional support needs or from Gypsy and traveller communities were more likely to miss school.
In Fife 34.2% of pupils were deemed persistently absent during 2023/24.
We asked Fife Council what is being done by its education service and schools to improve Fife schools attendance.
Donald Macleod, director for education, said: 'Across Fife, schools monitor attendance so that they can intervene early, providing support as needed from either within the school or in partnership with external agencies.
'When a young person isn't attending school, we need to understand why that's happening and good relationships are key to being able to support them and their family.
'This helps us to work out what supports and strategies need to be put in place to help them get back to attending school.
'There's no 'one size fits all' solution. The approaches we take are all underpinned by Scottish Government guidance and best practice nationally.
'Schools and, where necessary, social work and health partners use creative approaches to promote and support positive attendance.'
