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Truancy: Lancashire

Volume 458: debated on Wednesday 28 March 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Lancashire pupils had (a) one and (b) more than 10 unauthorised absence from school in each of the last five years. (125246)

The number of pupils absent with the average number of half days missed for each of these pupils due to unauthorised absence in Lancashire local authority is given in the following table.

Half days missed per pupil in maintained primary and secondary schools1 in Lancashire local authority

Primary schools

Secondary schools

Unauthorised absence

Unauthorised absence

Local authority

Number of day pupils of compulsory school age

Number of pupils absent

Average number of half days missed

Number of day pupils of compulsory school age

Number of pupils absent

Average number of half days missed

2001/02

86,651

8,872

10

72,747

9,069

20

2002/03

85,922

9,110

9

73,566

10,695

17

2003/04

84,338

9,616

9

73,509

11,923

17

2004/05

82,703

10,696

8

72,891

12,388

17

2005/06

81,437

11,634

8

71,500

13,496

15

1 Includes middle schools as deemed.

Data are not yet available on the number of times any one individual is absent. Pupil level absence data were collected for the first time via the School Census in January and will be published in March 2007.

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.