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Truancy: Gifted Children

Volume 506: debated on Wednesday 24 February 2010

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils with gifted and talented status were classed as persistent truants in (a) 1997, (b) 2003, (c) 2006 and (d) the most recent year for which figures are available. (316856)

The following table shows the number of pupils identified as gifted and talented with the number and percentage of those pupils who were classed as persistent absentees for 2006/07 and 2007/08, the most recent year for which data are available.

Persistent absence includes both authorised and unauthorised absence. 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.

Information on persistent absentees is not available for 1997 and 2003.

Primary, secondary and special schools1, 2 persistent absentees within the gifted and talented cohort3, 4—England

Number of gifted and talented enrolments5

Number of gifted and talented enrolments who are persistent absentees

Percentage of gifted and talented enrolments who are persistent absentees

Percentage of all enrolments who are persistent absentees

2006/07

639,000

10,250

1.6

4.1

2007/08

704,620

9,320

1.3

3.6

1 Includes city technology colleges and academies (including all-through academies).

2 Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools.

3 Persistent absentees are defined as having 64 or more sessions of absence (authorised and unauthorised) during the year, typically over 20 per cent. overall absence rate.

4 Pupils who were identified as gifted and talented at the time of the spring census. Where gifted and talented information was missing in the spring census, information collected in the summer census has been used.

5 Number of pupil enrolments in schools. Includes pupils on the school roll for at least one session who are aged between five and 15, excluding boarders. Some pupils may be counted more than once (if they moved schools during the school year or are registered in more than one school).

Note:

Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Source:

School Census