City in UK’s top 10 for fewest absentees.
Milton Keynes has one of the best records in the country when it comes to school attendance, a new Government report has revealed.
The city ranks sixth out of 151 local authority areas across the UK for attendance rates, with fewer cases of truancy than schools in all neighbouring areas, according to the Department for Education latest findings.
Other research published earlier this year showed that children who did not miss a day in school year 6 were twice as likely to meet expected standards in reading, writing and maths than children who missed between 10% to 15% of the year.
Milton Keynes City Council has applauded local academies for their work in raising attendance figures. It works with the city’s 93 primary schools to monitor attendance and intervene where needed, for instance if extra support is needed by a family to get back on track.
“This is a great result as every moment in school counts,” said Cllr Joe Hearnshaw, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People. “The more a child is in school, the more likely they are to learn, and reach their potential.
“It’s also a really important route to monitor children’s safety and wellbeing. I’d like to thank our primary school community, and the teams at the council who support MK schools, for achieving this brilliant result.”
The city's Whitehouse Primary is one of 10 local primary schools with an overall attendance rate above 95%.
“By putting relationships first, supporting barriers to attendance, and keeping communication open, we’re helping every child to make the most of their school journey,” said head teacher Linda Kelly.
