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The Courier
9 hours ago
- General
- The Courier
Find out your Stirling school's attendance rate as 1 in 4 children persistently absent
With 1 in 4 schoolchildren 'persistently absent', improving attendance is a priority for Stirling 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 Stirling 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 Stirling 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 Stirling 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 89.6% at secondary schools and 94% 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 Stirling 25.7% of pupils were deemed persistently absent during 2023/24. A walking bus introduced by Allan's Primary School has helped improved attendance among children in an area of the catchment where absence was higher. This was highlighted as an example of success in the Education Scotland report. We asked Stirling Council what else is being done by its education service and schools to improve Stirling schools' attendance. As well as walking buses it said work at individual school level includes breakfast clubs and family support workers. A spokesperson said: 'We are committed to working on improving school attendance in line with a relationship-based approach across our school settings. 'We issued new guidance across all learning establishments in 2023 which is supported by our educational psychology service, in addition to providing training for staff to support children and young people who face barriers engaging with school.'
The Courier
a day ago
- General
- The Courier
Find out your Perth and Kinross school's attendance rate as almost 1 in 3 children 'persistently absent'
With almost 1 in 3 schoolchildren 'persistently absent', improving attendance is a priority for Perth and Kinross 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 Perth and Kinross 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 Perth and Kinross 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 Perth and Kinross 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 86.7% at secondary schools and 93% 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 Perth and Kinross 31% of pupils were deemed persistently absent during 2023/24. We asked Perth and Kinross Council what is being done by its education service and schools to improve Perth and Kinross schools' attendance. Five of its secondary schools with lower attendance are taking part in an Education Scotland programme, it said. This involves focussed intervention with a small group of pupils and they are looking to enhance this next year. Recent work with those with very low attendance due to mental health has helped three young people return to school, five to attend for bespoke input and six to gain national qualifications. And a project working with 22 families of pupils with attendance between 60% and 70% has led to significant improvements for several. Guidance is given to schools on identifying pupils at risk of poorer outcomes because of low attendance and how to address this. A council spokesperson said: 'Improving school attendance and enhancing our education experience for all remain critical drivers in our improvement work moving ahead. 'We understand that some families may experience a range of challenges at different points in their lives. 'Staff in our schools and education and learning team work in close partnership with parents and carers to listen with empathy, understand individual circumstances and provide the right support to address any barriers that may affect school attendance. 'We aim to ensure that every child and young person can attend school regularly, helping them to achieve their full potential.
The Courier
4 days ago
- General
- The Courier
Find out your Dundee school's attendance as more than 1 in 3 children 'persistently absent'
With more than 1 in 3 schoolchildren 'persistently absent', improving attendance is a priority for Dundee 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 Dundee 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 Dundee 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. Overall, attendance has fallen at Dundee schools over the last decade. There was a slight improvement last year. Attendance for the last full academic year – 2023/24 – was 85.8% at secondary schools and 91.7% 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 Dundee 37.1% of pupils were deemed persistently absent during 2023/24. We asked Dundee City Council what is being done by its education service and schools to improve Dundee schools attendance but received no reply. However, we know many city schools have family engagement officers whose remit includes working with regularly absent pupils and their families.
The Courier
5 days ago
- General
- The Courier
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.'
Glasgow Times
26-05-2025
- General
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow pupils 'so proud' after school's 'wonderful' inspection report
Primary seven children Anna, Momen and Ben joined teachers, parents and families in their delight at the news. Momen said: 'We did really well and we are proud of our school.' Ben added: 'I'm glad we did so well.' Anna said: 'It's not too surprising because for the last seven years it's always been very good.' Staff and children from Scotstoun Primary (Image: Scotstoun Primary) The Education Scotland team praised the school's 'highly effective leadership of change at all levels' and added: 'Senior leaders, teachers and support staff use their professional knowledge and skills very well to ensure positive outcomes for all children and drive forward improvements. 'Children articulate well the positive difference they are making in their school and beyond.' Scotstoun Primary has featured in the Glasgow Times because of its brilliant community initiatives. Its Café Culture project, which brings parents from different cultures and backgrounds together to cook, share recipes and chat, won the Best School Award at our Community Champion Awards in 2023. (Image: Mark Gibson/Newsquest) The inspectors said the school benefitted from 'very well-established and high-quality community and partnership working' and added: 'Everyone recognises and honours the cultural diversity within the school and local community which ensures a strong sense of belonging.' The report also praised 'teachers' highly-effective use of digital technologies which are fully integrated within teaching, learning and assessment', and it continued: 'Staff also plan and provide high-quality play, STEM and inquiry-based experiences. This is enhancing children's learning and skills.' READ NEXT: 14 pictures which tell story of Glasgow school and its famous ex-pupils 'Gran's report card' discovery reveals story of 'lost' Glasgow school 'We're so lucky to have the Citz': Free drama lessons as Glasgow theatre re-opens Other key strengths highlighted by the inspectors included 'well-designed, nurturing approaches and events" which "help children to feel safe, secure and confident', and 'very successful approaches to raise children's attainment and accelerate their progress, including closing any gaps in learning.' As an area for improvement, the inspectors said the school should 'continue to develop and deliver high-quality, enriching learning experiences for children across a range of contexts, including outdoors.' Headteacher Emma McGill said: 'We are delighted and proud that the hard work and support of our staff team, children, families and wider community has been recognised through our very good inspection report. 'Our staff are dedicated to ensuring all children are supported and made to feel part of our school family and we are so pleased that this was recognised.' She added: 'Our partnership working with our families and wider community is a key factor in our success and we really appreciate their ongoing support.' Councillor Christina Cannon, Glasgow City Council's education convener said: 'What a wonderful report card for the school community. 'Inspectors illustrate many highlights throughout the publication… and the cultural diversity of the school community gets a special mention, a couple of years after the school's successful launch of their Café Culture recipe book which saw a host of different dishes chosen from the many cultures that make up Scotstoun Primary school. 'Congratulations to all.' The full report is available on the Education Scotland website.
