§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to the answer from the Deputy Prime Minister of 20 July 2001,Official Report, columns 461–62W on the Social Exclusion Unit, in which schools targets have been set for the reduction of truancy and which schools have met those targets; in what proportion of schools truancy was more than three per cent. above average in 2001 and what the current proportion is; and how many schools fall into each decile measured by the proportion of pupils days lost through (a) unauthorised absence and (b) all absence in the most recent year for which information is available. [58933]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisIn 1999 225 schools were asked to set targets to reduce unauthorised absence. These schools had unauthorised absence three percentage points or more above the average for their sector (primary, secondary or special) for the previous two academic years. Locally determined school level targets were agreed by the school's governing body in close discussion with the education welfare service. 117 schools met the targets that they set for themselves and in total 181 (80 per cent.) decreased their unauthorised absence rate.
In the academic year 2000–01 326 schools recorded absence three percentage points or more above the national average for their sector (0.5 per cent. for primary schools; 1.1 per cent. for secondary schools and 2.2 per cent. for special schools). These are the most recent published results.
It is impossible to calculate meaningful deciles due to the limited range of the data.