Make the most of your Similar Schools Attendance Reports
Did you know?
42% of Norfolk primary schools and 90% of secondary schools have already accessed their Similar Schools Comparison Reports on attendance. If your school hasn't yet, now is the time to take advantage of this valuable tool.
What are Similar Schools Comparison Reports?
These reports compare your school's attendance with around 20 schools that share similar characteristics, such as:
- Free school meal eligibility
- SEND support
- Per-pupil funding
The latest report (November) also includes your school's Attendance Baseline Improvement Expectation (ABIE) for 2025-26. This helps you track progress against an indicative improvement target throughout the year.
Why it matters
Using these reports can help you:
- Identify practical strategies from schools in similar circumstances
- Understand your ABIE - the minimum expected improvement tailored to your school
- Track progress against helpful benchmarks
- Meet elements of the Working Together to Improve School Attendance guidance
- Inform discussions with governors and leadership teams
What schools can see
- Which similar schools are high performers in key attendance areas
- Week-by-week absence trends compared to similar schools
- Areas where you're doing well and where to focus
- How different pupil groups are performing
How to access your report
- Log in to View Your Education Data (VYED) using your DfE Sign-in
- Select 'Monitor your school attendance'
- Click 'Similar schools comparison reports'
- Choose 'Your similar schools comparison reports'
New reports are published each half term and full term - the next update will be available in January 2026.
Learn more
- Watch the DfE webinar on using the reports and ABIEs effectively
- Sign up for the next webinar: Wednesday 28 January at 11am
This session will cover how to analyse attendance data and connect with similar schools.
Action for schools
If you have not accessed your report yet, please do so and use it as part of your attendance strategy. These insights can make a real difference.
