Birmingham School Named Among UK's Worst for Student Attendance Rates
New Department for Education statistics have revealed that a Birmingham school has been ranked among the ten worst in the entire country for student attendance rates. Waverley Studio College, located on Belchers Lane in the Bordesley Green area, recorded an unauthorised absence rate of 11.6% during the 2024/25 academic year.
National Ranking and Local Context
This figure places Waverley Studio College at tenth position nationally for the highest unauthorised absence rates. Only nine other schools across the United Kingdom reported worse attendance records than the Birmingham academy. The school describes itself as an academy for students aged 14 to 19 that focuses on preparing young people for careers in health, creative technology, and enterprise sectors.
In the West Midlands region, Shire Oak Academy in Walsall was identified as the next worst performer for attendance after Waverley Studio College. Nationally, Fir Vale Academy in Sheffield topped the unfortunate list with a significantly higher unauthorised absence rate of 17.1%.
Broader National Trends in School Attendance
Despite these concerning figures for specific schools, the Department for Education data shows that unauthorised absences actually decreased nationally for the second consecutive year. The national rate fell to 8.4% in 2024/25, down from 8.9% in the previous academic year.
This means that pupils at state-funded secondary schools across the country missed the equivalent of approximately one in every twelve school days through unauthorised absences. While this represents an improvement from recent years, it remains substantially higher than pre-pandemic levels, which stood at just 5.5%.
The statistics highlight ongoing challenges in school attendance patterns following the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with some institutions continuing to struggle significantly more than others in ensuring regular student attendance.
