There’s no denying that the weather is unpredictable in the UK. We see all sorts of extremes, from freezing temperatures and snow storms in winter, to highs of 40 degrees and unbearable heat waves in the summer. But just how much does the weather impact attendance in schools?
As school canopy specialists, we believe in the encouragement of pupils attending school. With our range of canopies, we can help to transform your outdoor area into a fun and exclusive learning environment, whilst also protecting pupils from extreme weather conditions.
Sometimes, with such extremes, pupils cannot get to school because the weather impacts travel and commute time. With this in mind, let’s have a look at just how much the weather has impacted school attendance in the past few years.
Current UK Weather Statistics From the Past 5 Years
1. In May 2024, the average rainfall was 37.9mm more than the same month in 2023, but 24mm less than the 20-year average. (Source: GOV.UK Energy Trends)
2. The three months from February to April 2024 were the warmest for that period recorded in the series this century. (Source: GOV.UK Energy Trends)
3. From February 2024 to April 2024, the average wind speed was 9.5 knots, 1 knot higher than the same period a year earlier. (Source: GOV.UK Energy Trends)
4. 2022 recorded the highest annual temperature in the UK’s history. (Source: Statista)
5. The maximum average temperature recorded across the UK since 2015 was in July 2018. (Source: Statista)
6. The hottest temperature measured from 1949 to February 2024 was reported by the Waddington weather station. In July 2022, the record temperature of 40.3°C was reported. (Source: WorldData.info)
7. At 7.17°C, February 2024 was the warmest February in 26 years. (Source: WorldData.info)
8. With a total of 14.97 rainy days, it rained more often in July 2023 than it has in the same month for 14 years. (Source: WorldData.info)
9. With 3 litres of of precipitation in 2023, March was the wettest in 35 years. (Source: WorldData.info)
10. With 2.64 hours of sunshine per day in March 2023, there was less sunshine than in any March in the last 25 years. (Source: WorldData.info)
School Attendence Figures
1. Despite the impact that the weather has on school attendance, these figures focus on attendance as a whole.
2. One in five pupils in England were reported as persistently absent during the last school year (The Guardian)
3. The North East has the highest level of persistent absence of 24.7% (Source: System C)
4. Students who walk to school tend to miss 10% more days during bad weather. (Source: North High Red Haws)
5. The estimated overall absence rate for the 2023/24 academic year for state-schools to date was 7/2%. (Source: House of Commons Library)
6. In addition to this, the persistence absence rate was 20%. (Source: House of Commons Library)
7. The overall absence rate in 2022/23 was much higher than pre-pandemic. (Source: House of Commons Library)
8. At a regional level, overall absence rates in 2022/23 were lowest in outer London, at 6.9%, and highest in the North-East, at 7.8%. (Source: House of Commons Library)
9. There was a greater variation between local authority areas – with absence rates ranging from 5.9% in Trafford to 9.1% in Bradford. (Source: House of Commons Library)
10. In state-funded secondary schools, the rate of absence pupils more than doubled from 1.3% in 2018/19 to 3.4% in 2022/23. (Source: House of Commons Library)
11. Pupils are defined as ‘severley absent’ when they miss 50% or more of possible school sessions. In 2022/23 2% of pupils were severely absent, which equates to around 150,000 pupils. (Source: House of Commons Library)
How the Weather has Impacted School Attendance
1. Around a third of pupils were absent from school during the hottest days of the UK heatwave in 2022 (Source: The Independent)
2. Around 25% of students were off school on the Monday of the heatwave (Source: The Independent)
3. Exposure to negative rainfall shocks significantly reduces children’s school attendance by 2.3% (Source: The University of Manchester)
4. There was a significant overall reduction of 9.8% in children’s school attendance on exposure to negative rainfall shock (Source: The University of Manchester)
5. Schools must close if the Met Office warns of a red weather warning. (Source: Education Authority)
6. There are no specific legal maximum working temperatures for schools or other work places. (Source: National Education Union)
7. Recent years have shown that the increasing extremes of weather conditions are becoming more and more common, and action should be taken in schools. (Source: National Education Union)
8. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their staff and pupils, thereby providing a need to seek to protect against excessive working temperatures. (Source: National Education Union)
9. Only in exceptional circumstances will a decision be taken by the director of the school to close all schools to pupils and staff due to adverse weather. (Source: Abderdeenshire Council)
10. If a decision is made in schools that the weather conditions are such that it is not appropriate to open the school for pupils, then there should be no reason why the school should expect staff to come into school. (Source: NASUWT)
Invest in a Canopy Solution for All Weathers!
From taking a look at the data, it is clear that weather conditions can have extreme impacts on the attendance of pupils at school. Whether it’s sunshine or rain, the weather can severely affect the amount of time pupils spend at school.
Luckily for you, A&S Landscape offer weather-proof outdoor canopies, made to protect pupils all year round. Our exceptionally designed structures are manufactured to the highest standards, prioritising both durability and aesthetics.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of our team today and settle your mind about improving pupil attendance.
