While some of what children learn in primary school might seem elementary, this important time helps build the key academic skills that will form the bedrock of the rest of their educational journey.
That is why it is so important they attend as often as possible. But over the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years, school attendance rates in Northern Ireland have fallen to their worst levels on record. The BBC reports that about 30% of pupils across each of the two school years had “chronic” or “severe chronic” absence rates - significantly higher than in England or Wales.
We’ve taken a look at the latest attendance figures from the Department of Education published in January, which cover state-funded schools in the most recently-ended 2023/24 school year. After earlier looking into the country’s top secondary schools, we’ve now used this data to work out which state primary schools in Northern Ireland had the highest attendance rates over the last academic year.
Many smaller rural or village primary schools excelled. While some larger town and city schools also made the list, it is worth noting that it can sometimes be trickier for them to keep attendance rates high, due to higher numbers of pupils overall.
The data showed attendance rates as low as 71.1% at some primary schools in the last school year, meaning the absence rate was a whopping 28.9%. But children can miss school for many reasons, and alarmingly, the data also showed schools with unauthorised absence rates as high as 16.3%. NI Direct - the official government website for Northern Ireland citizens - says that going to school regularly is important for a child's future, with the benefits of regular school attendance including better exam performance - and eventually, job prospects. It also helps young people develop friendships, social skills, team values, life skills, and cultural awareness. Parents are legally responsible for making sure their children go to school, and if they don’t, they could face fines or prosecution.
Here were the primary schools that did especially well in the last school year, when it came to children showing up for class:
9. Garryduff Primary School, Ballymoney
This is a primary school in the Garryduff area, to the southeast of Ballymoney, County Antrim. In the 2023/24 school year, it once again had an attendance rate of 97%. | Google
10. Hamiltonsbawn Primary School, Armagh
This is a primary school in Hamiltonsbawn, just east of Armagh. In the 2023/24 school year, it too had an attendance rate of 97%. | Google
11. St Mary's Primary School, Barr
St Mary’s is a Catholic primary school in the Jerrettspass area, on the border between County Armagh and County Down, not far from Newry. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an attendance rate of 96.9%. | Google
12. St Patrick's Primary School, Aughadarragh
This St Patrick’s is a Catholic primary school in the Aughadarragh area, near Augher, County Tyrone. In the 2023/24 school year, it too had an attendance rate of 96.9%. | Google