School attendance in Renfrewshire slipped last year in both primary and secondary schools, and remains well short of the council's own targets, according to a mid-year progress report going to councillors on Thursday 29 October.

The report to the Education and Children's Services Policy Board shows primary attendance fell from 93.8% in 2024-25 to 93.3% in 2025-26, against a target of 95.5%. In secondary schools it dropped from 87.6% to 86.2%, against a target of 91%.

The primary dip comes after four years of steady recovery following the pandemic, while secondary attendance had risen the year before. National comparison figures for 2025-26 aren't available yet. The council notes that attendance across Scotland is affected by seasonal flu in the autumn and winter months.

More pupils staying on to S6

There was better news on young people staying in school. The share of pupils staying on to S6 rose from 62.8% to 65.8%, although that is still below the 71% target.

Exam results remain a strength. The report says 72% of pupils gained five or more awards at level 5 and 44% at level 6, both around three percentage points above the national figures. Combined literacy and numeracy levels for P1, P4 and P7 pupils are also above the Scottish average, with Renfrewshire ranked 10th in Scotland for literacy and 4th for numeracy.

The proportion of young children meeting their developmental milestones has reached its highest level since records began, at 83.9%, just above the national average of 83.5%.

Where the council is falling short

  • Early years: 84% of funded early learning and childcare settings are graded good or better, down over recent years and below the national average of 89%.
  • Exclusions of care-experienced pupils: the overall exclusion rate fell by 14.3% in 2024-25, but the rate for looked-after pupils was 151 per 1,000, almost double the Scottish average of 77, and the fifth highest of any council.
  • Complaints and FOI requests: 3 of the 17 stage 1 complaints in the first quarter were answered late, and 19 of 107 Freedom of Information requests missed the deadline.

On the positive side, 88.9% of looked-after children are being cared for in family placements, above the 83% target, and 56% of care leavers are in work, training or education.

Overall, six of the service's performance indicators are on target, seven have narrowly missed, and six are below target.

Improving attendance and cutting exclusions are listed among Children's Services' priorities for the next six months, along with closing the poverty-related attainment gap and giving extra support to the lowest-attaining 20% of learners.

Photo: Langcraigs Primary School, Paisley, by Richard Sutcliffe, CC BY-SA 2.0.