Truancy

Mr. Randall
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the truancy rate was in (a) secondary and (b) primary schools in (i) Uxbridge constituency, (ii) each London borough and (iii) England in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan
The Department collects data on unauthorised absences from schools, only some of which are truancy.

The two tables containing the figures for the proportion of half days missed due to unauthorised absence (of which truancy forms a part) have been placed in the House of Commons 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, other absence not authorised by the school and truancy.