HC Deb 12 January 2004 vol 416 cc578-83W
Mr. Hoban

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 16 December 2003,Official Report, column 836W, on pupil absences, if he will break down the number of

Unauthorised absence in maintained primary and secondary schools in England, 1997/98 and 2002/03
Academic year 1997/98 Academic year 2002/03
Total possible sessions Number of half days missed due to unauthorized absence Percentage of half days missed due to unauthorized absence Total possible sessions Number of half days missed due to unauthorized absence Percentage of half days missed due to unauthorized absence
Barking and Dagenham 6,960,095 105,543 1.52 7,459,186 119,169 1.60
Barnet 11,942,107 77,882 0.65 11,778,740 87,718 0.74
Barnsley 8,743,218 103,801 1.19 9,345,586 95,717 1.02
Bath and North East Somerset 6,612,203 25,869 0.39 6,550,822 37,512 0.57
Bedfordshire 15,385,361 57,620 0.37 16,147,095 55,529 0.34
Bexley 9,197,337 38,296 0.42 10,093,091 54,322 0.54
Birmingham 43,684,482 516,068 1.18 44,600,995 453,883 1.02
Blackburn with Darwen 6,863,979 68,232 0.99 6,933,373 54,619 0.79
Blackpool 5,523,173 61,956 1.12 5,565,569 54,300 0.98
Bolton 12,305,786 114,299 0.93 12,111,994 85,928 0.71
Bournemouth 5,496,631 43,585 0.79 5,532,530 21,680 0.39
Bracknell Forest 3,787,557 13,079 0.35 3,899,460 16,946 0.43
Bradford 21,921,765 357,869 1.63 20,822,223 316,047 1.52
Brent 8,491,833 65,143 0.77 9,333,083 56,144 0.60
Brighton and Hove 7,140,966 59,889 0.84 7,892,669 75,869 0.96
Bristol, City of 12,740,007 153,001 1.20 12,638,508 173,184 1.37
Bromley 11,518,807 54,438 0.47 11,965,363 87,561 0.73
Buckinghamshire 18,547,877 51,341 0.28 19,108,430 84,148 0.44
Bury 7,786,809 40,038 0.51 7,949,847 37,419 0.47
Calderdale 9,117,237 46,840 0.51 9,108,847 47,033 0.52
Cambridgeshire 19,309,270 105,432 0.55 20,308,069 110,359 0.54
Camden 5,377,029 78,679 1.46 4,890,033 55,645 1.14
Cheshire 27,648,326 137,638 0.50 27,850,790 168,179 0.60
Cornwall 19,103,370 72,092 0.38 19,713,625 77,577 0.39
Coventry 12,977,784 99,842 0.77 12,528,870 71,501 0.57
Croydon 11,982,517 67,594 0.56 12,811,239 110,841 0.87
Cumbria 20,114,014 67,279 0.33 20,279,090 100,163 0.49
Darlington 4,220,750 31,946 0.76 4,015,669 23,798 0.59
Derby City 9,496,622 76,289 0.80 9,776,185 87,290 0.89
Derbyshire 28,990,500 184,011 0.63 30,650,557 202,425 0.66
Devon 24,941.506 114,542 0.46 25,992,151 154,447 0.59
Doncaster 13,055,709 149,394 1.14 12,885,981 120,776 0.94
Dorset 14,147,822 56,849 0.40 14,544,725 55,073 0.38
Dudley 12,221,676 46,843 0.38 13,630,374 80,903 0.59
Durham 20,105,892 146,200 0.73 20,027,339 73,511 0.37
Ealing 9,864,678 84,732 0.86 9,957,712 48,907 0.49
East Riding of Yorkshire 12,690,313 66,481 0.52 13,492,330 57,494 0.43
East Sussex 16,296,427 120,771 0.74 17,884,590 148,004 0.83
Enfield 11,731,951 111,415 0.95 12,036,439 173,070 1.44
Essex 51,192,177 292,106 0.57 52,313,880 305,488 0.58
Gateshead 7,741,720 76,121 0.98 7,405,780 42,292 0.57
Gloucestershire 22,252,023 67,411 0.30 22,707,564 82,832 0.36
Greenwich 8,612,526 172,048 2.00 8,999,902 166,073 1.85
Hackney 6,386,670 101,078 1.58 6,528,327 105,774 1.62
Halton 5,849,448 53,627 0.92 5,438,109 69,126 1.27
Hammersmith and Fulham 3,481,002 65,994 1.90 4,056,354 48,180 1.19
Hampshire 46,126,635 244,954 0.53 47,696,466 315.381 0.66
Haringey 7,816,702 128,095 1.64 8,201,203 143,333 1.75
Harrow 7,844,823 43,429 0.55 7,781,906 25,072 0.32
Hartlepool 4,051,517 53,341 1.32 4,307,027 51,843 1.20
Havering 9,427,217 37,739 0.40 9,572,671 37,431 0.39
Herefordshire 6,546,757 24,019 0.37 6,809,255 31,673 0.47
Hertfordshire 42,043,377 180,011 0.43 43,498,050 229,107 0.53
Hillingdon 9,259,142 97,442 1.05 10,170,299 111,853 1.10
Hounslow 8,416,806 77,565 0.92 8,603,901 95,439 1.11
Isle of Wight 4,983,329 20,365 0.41 5,110,221 30,031 0.59
Isles of Scilly 64,884 121 0.19 63,326 441 0.70
Islington 6,191,369 105,073 1.70 5,950,006 80,662 1.36
Kensington and Chelsea 2,381,581 41,502 1.74 2,561,091 24,846 0.97
Kent 51,645,835 238,420 0.46 55,108,122 279,301 0.51
Kingston upon Hull, City of 11,278,575 222,041 1.97 10,656,454 156,049 1.46
Kingston upon Thames 4.781,603 24,577 0.51 5,043,212 17,616 0.35
Kirklees 17,076,263 172,467 1.01 16,922,012 129,658 0.77
Knowsley 7,353,050 116,731 1.59 7,062,038 112,257 1.59

half days lost due to unauthorised absence in (a) 1997–98 and (b) 2002–03 by local education authority. [146470]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

[holding answer 8 January 2004]: The information requested is shown as follows:

Unauthorised absence in maintained primary and secondary schools in England, 1997/98 and 2002/03
Academic year 1997/98 Academic year 2002/03
Total possible sessions Number of half days missed due to unauthorized absence Percentage of half days missed due to unauthorized absence Total possible sessions Number of half days missed due to unauthorized absence Percentage of half days missed due to unauthorized absence
Lambeth 6,616,896 88,978 1.34 6,769,620 62,317 0.92
Lancashire 48,581,138 258,625 0.53 48.954,065 266,747 0.54
Leeds 28,744,260 337,757 1.18 28,933,535 319,327 1.10
Leicester City 12,734,281 143,282 1.13 12,689,113 194,712 1.53
Leicestershire 26,006,408 141,512 0.54 26,533,381 174,417 0.66
Lewisham 8,258,734 150,844 1.83 8,709,699 136,429 1.57
Lincolnshire 24,181,115 133,479 0.55 27,067,264 138,489 0.51
Liverpool 19,660,250 267,289 1.36 18,892,558 200,971 1.06
London, City of 50,796 976 1.92 54,342 0 0.00
Luton 8,026,192 58,169 0.72 8,507,459 54,672 0.64
Manchester 17,161,916 300,544 1.75 16,811,825 200,799 1.19
Medway 11,210,947 71,279 0.64 11,633,094 60,413 0.52
Merton 5,779,338 80,513 1.39 5,441.153 41,819 0.77
Middlesbrough 6,305,740 61,431 0.97 5,983,567 40,771 0.68
Milton Keynes 8,583,082 41,480 0.48 9,305,084 40,801 0.44
Newcastle upon Tyne 10,027,943 86,336 0.86 9,579,712 83,829 0.88
Newham 11,225,046 281,582 2.51 11,719,076 150,900 1.29
Norfolk 27,851,813 169,643 0.61 30,114,741 206,752 0.69
North East Lincolnshire 7,461,441 83,474 1.12 7,303,691 67,923 0.93
North Lincolnshire 6,833,885 45,071 0.66 6,678,118 36,530 0.55
North Somerset 7,101,334 42,540 0.60 7,457,736 51,788 0.69
North Tyneside 7,893,708 35,662 0.45 7,806,945 37,468 0.48
North Yorkshire 22,193,981 60,788 0.27 23,726,431 83,564 0.35
Northamptonshire 26,199,295 166,709 0.64 27,575,895 197,952 0.72
Northumberland 13,095,643 48,321 0.37 12,637,969 36,493 0.29
Nottingham City 10,522,642 234,731 2.23 9,902,153 132,671 1.34
Nottinghamshire 30,194,615 262,053 0.87 31,091,195 279,326 0.90
Oldham 11,049,488 124,707 1.13 10,797,455 103,252 0.96
Oxfordshire 21,882,823 174,275 0.80 22,084,106 145,787 0.66
Peterborough City 7,314,293 56,346 0.77 7,527,333 51,405 0.68
Plymouth 10,407,858 61,045 0.59 10,018,234 41,800 0.42
Poole 4,894,319 27,561 0.56 5,053,137 33,897 0.67
Portsmouth 6,978,696 84,443 1.21 6,887,267 74,618 1.08
Reading 4,501,271 51,138 1.14 4,136,438 42,177 1.02
Redbridge 9,567,710 58,420 0.61 10,443,598 76,663 0.73
Redcar and Cleveland 6,476,772 44,796 0.69 6,529,839 39,005 0.60
Richmond upon Thames 5,387,735 26,734 0.50 5,220,053 56,648 1.09
Rochdale 9,343,930 102,814 1.10 9,479,481 90,003 0.95
Rotherham 11,850,034 120,999 1.02 11,956,554 100,738 0.84
Rutland 1,403,662 5,284 0.38 1,425,488 4,570 0.32
Salford 9,059,496 100,157 1.11 8,984,375 106,531 1.19
Sandwell 12,717,785 130,452 1.03 12,772,004 121,645 0.95
Sefton 12,468,268 54,426 0.44 11,857,845 51,244 0.43
Sheffield 19,498,865 299,826 1.54 20,013,151 254,156 1.27
Shropshire 10,593,845 43,335 0.41 11,182,692 31,787 0.28
Slough 4,326,982 33,062 0.76 4,920,858 52,245 1.06
Solihull 9,534,393 32,823 0.34 9,504,941 52,417 0.55
Somerset 18,108,993 68,241 0.38 19,244,019 85,716 0.45
South Gloucestershire 9,731,927 54,168 0.56 10,708,139 73,654 0.69
South Tyneside 6,721,986 13,403 0.20 6,299,568 25,145 0.40
Southampton 8,370,654 83,610 1.00 7,973,689 68,754 0.86
Southend-on-Sea 6,357,832 64,139 1.01 6,756,687 63,343 0.94
Southwark 8,364,744 169,937 2.03 8,962,748 157,226 1.75
St. Helens 7,672,838 25,640 0.33 7,687,463 53,720 0.70
Staffordshire 33,514,654 117,250 0.35 34,312,098 151,716 0.44
Stockport 11,448,314 85,358 0.75 11,585,776 62,960 0.54
Stockton on Tees 8,663,358 36,079 0.42 8,255,696 36,991 0.45
Stoke on Trent 10,021,352 74,166 0.74 9,675,615 106,045 1.10
Suffolk 24,952,935 87,289 0.35 26,223,004 186,328 0.71
Sunderland 13,251,439 83,350 0.63 12,607,404 65,400 0.52
Surrey 34,191,515 105,248 0.31 35,480,270 208,644 0.59
Sutton 7,035,996 27,419 0.39 7,587,605 35,024 0.46
Swindon 7,818,601 47,772 0.61 7,896,788 32,009 0.41
Tameside 10,187,487 69,146 0.68 10,062,696 39,554 0.39
Telford and Wrekin 6,725,805 48,127 0.72 7,047,540 26,477 0.38
Thurrock 5,806,143 60,881 1.05 5,889,829 58,493 0.99
Torbay 4,688,784 21,167 0.45 4,956,923 43,381 0.88
Tower Hamlets 8,452,799 184,708 2.19 8,914,070 138,820 1.56
Trafford 9,260,873 47,595 0.51 9,253,299 34,771 0.38
Wakefield 14,043,287 102,408 0.73 14,085,535 106,245 0.75
Walsall 12,284,583 105,354 0.86 12,241,652 80.325 0.66
Waltham Forest 8,773,590 125,645 1.43 8,983,932 81,085 0.90

Unauthorised absence in maintained primary and secondary schools in England, 1997/98 and 2002/03
Academic year 1997/98 Academic year 2002/03
Total possible sessions Number of half days missed due to unauthorized absence Percentage of half days missed due to unauthorized absence Total possible sessions Number of half days missed due to unauthorized absence Percentage of half days missed due to unauthorized absence
Wandsworth 6,660,268 66,109 0.99 6,749,010 52,766 0.78
Warrington 8,723,569 33,278 0.38 8,723,891 41,370 0.47
Warwickshire 20,146,407 86,938 0.43 19,977,522 91,302 0.46
West Berkshire 6,162,872 17,882 0.29 6,268,303 28,747 0.46
West Sussex 26,795,598 100,465 0.37 28,012,548 130,965 0.47
Westminster, City of 4,388,316 91,418 2.08 4,515,826 48,561 1.08
Wigan 14,582,708 108,771 0.75 13,789,031 57,062 0.41
Wiltshire 16,265,723 68,496 0.42 17,041,153 74,818 0.44
Windsor and Maidenhead 4,895,304 17,719 0.36 4,981,077 27,205 0.55
Wirral 14,086,710 87,329 0.62 13,900,770 65,200 0.47
Wokingham 6,246,147 21,320 0.34 6,078,808 24,143 0.40
Wolverhampton 9,695,286 109,925 1.13 10,263,693 82,080 0.80
Worcestershire 20,828,048 114,354 0.55 21,152,365 105,058 0.50
York, City of 5.753,137 26,843 0.47 6,488,028 49,413 0.76
Total 1,944,289,663 14,673,753 0.75 1,987,988,695 14,355,433 0.72

Notes:

1 Figures relate to maintained primary and secondary schools but exclude maintained special schools and CTCs.

2. Figures cover absences between September 1997 and May 1998, and September 2002 and May 2003.