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Unauthorised Absences

Volume 457: debated on Monday 19 February 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many unauthorised absences were recorded at (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each local education authority in each year from 1997 to 2006. (116988)

A table containing the figures requested has been placed in the House Library.

Unauthorised absence is absence without leave from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established and truancy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many unauthorised absences from schools in (a) Eastbourne and (b) East Sussex there were in each year since 1997. (116545)

The percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absence in Eastbourne parliamentary constituency and East Sussex local authority in each year since 1997 are shown as follows.

Percentage of half days missed in maintained primary schools1 due to unauthorised absence2,3

Eastbourne

East Sussex

England

1997/98

0.5

0.4

0.50

1998/99

0.6

0.4

0.49

1999/2000

0.5

0.4

0.47

2000/01

0.6

0.5

0.49

2001/02

0.6

0.37

0.45

2002/03

0.6

0.41

0.43

2003/04

0.8

0.53

0.41

2004/05

0.8

0.77

0.43

2005/06

0.7

0.72

0.46

Percentage of half days missed in maintained secondary schools1 due to unauthorised absence2,3

Eastbourne

East Sussex

England

1997/98

0.8

1.3

1.10

1998/99

0.9

1.1

1.07

1999/2000

1.1

1.2

1.04

2000/01

1.2

1.2

1.07

2001/02

1.2

1.41

1.09

2002/03

2.0

1.35

1.07

2003/04

2.2

1.41

1.13

2004/05

1.7

1.34

1.23

2005/06

1.6

1.38

1.20

1 Includes middle schools as deemed.

2 Due to local government reorganisation, regional figures are not available prior to 1998.

3 Figures for Eastbourne are available to one decimal place. Figures for East Sussex local authority are available to one decimal place prior to 2001/02 and two decimal places from 2001/02 onwards.

Unauthorised absence is absence without leave from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established and truancy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many unauthorised absences from schools in (a) Chorley and (b) Lancashire there were in each year since 1997. (117196)

The percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absence in Chorley parliamentary constituency and Lancashire local authority in each year since 1997 are shown as follows.

Percentage of half days missed in maintained primary schools1 due to unauthorised absence2,3

Chorley

Lancashire

England

1997/98

0.2

0.3

0.50

1998/99

0.2

0.4

0.49

1999/2000

0.2

0.4

0.47

2000/01

0.2

0.3

0.49

2001/02

0.3

0.34

0.45

2002/03

0.2

0.31

0.43

2003/04

0.2

0.32

0.41

2004/05

0.2

0.34

0.43

2005/06

0.3

0.35

0.45

Percentage of half days missed in maintained secondary schools1 due to unauthorised absence2,3

Chorley

Lancashire

England

1997/98

0.5

0.8

1.10

1998/99

0.6

0.9

1.07

1999/2000

0.5

0.8

1.04

2000/01

0.6

0.8

1.07

2001/02

0.5

0.82

1.09

2002/03

0.5

0.82

1.07

2003/04

0.5

0.88

1.13

2004/05

0.5

0.93

1.23

2005/06

0.6

0.94

1.20

1 Includes middle schools as deemed.

2 Due to local government reorganisation, regional figures are not available prior to 1998.

3 Figures for Chorley are available to one decimal place. Figures for Lancashire local authority are available to one decimal place prior to 2001/02 and two decimal places from 2001/02 onwards.

Unauthorised absence is absence without leave from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established and truancy.