Over 1,500 pupils ‘persistently absent’

Over 1,500 school pupils across Rochdale were persistently absent in 2010/11, missing at least a month of school, figures from the Department for Education show.

Of the 28,640 pupils enrolled across the borough in 2010/11 a total of 1,632 were persistently absent. A child is defined as persistently absent if they miss 15 per cent or more of school time.

Previously, children who missed 20 per cent of school were considered persistent absentees.

The Government lowered the threshold so schools could step in to tackle absence sooner.

Breakdown: 

• 15,762 pupils enrolled at primary schools across the borough and 547 of them were persistently absent.
• 12,540 pupils enrolled at secondary schools across the borough and 1,014 were persistently absent.
• 339 pupils enrolled at special schools across the borough and 71 were persistently absent. 

Nationally almost 400,000 children were persistently absent.

School’s Minister, Nick Gibb, said: “A hard core of almost 400,000 pupils still missed at least a month of school. We should not underestimate the impact of this on their future prospects.

“The effect that poor attendance at school can have on a child’s education can be permanent and damaging. Children who attend school regularly are four times more likely to achieve five or more good GCSEs, including English and Maths, than those who are persistently absent.

“We have asked Charlie Taylor to carry out a review on attendance and have lowered the persistent absence threshold, so schools tackle the problem earlier. We are determined to tackle absence before it causes long-term disadvantage.”

Mr Taylor, The Government’s Expert Adviser on behaviour, said: “Schools are aware of the consequences of poor attendance on their pupils’ attainment. Some schools go to great lengths to tackle attendance issues and to see the absence rates decreasing is very promising. But as these figures show there is yet more work to be done to reduce the number of pupils who are still persistently absent.

“The earlier schools address poor attendance patterns, the less likely it is that they will become a long term issue. The best primary schools realise this and take a rigorous approach to poor attendance from the very start of school life.”