City sets priorities in drive to cut truancy rates in schools

Councillors in Leeds have endorsed a number of recommendations which will be carried out over the next nine months.

In 2009/10, the overall level of secondary school attendance in Leeds was 91.88 per cent, 91.6 per cent including academies, compared to 93.24 per cent and 93.16 per cent nationally. Leeds has seen a gradual increase in secondary attendance since 2000/01 when it was 89.8 per cent.

A report to Leeds City Council’s executive board on attendance and persistent absence highlighted 23 out of 35 maintained secondary schools successfully reduced their persistent absence levels.

Three secondary schools were responsible for 21 per cent of persistent absences and there is often a strong link between pupils eligible for free school meals and levels of persistent absence.

To ensure that more children and young people regularly attend school, the executive board has agreed a series of recommendations.

These include:

Target pupils with 60 to 70 per cent attendance as early intervention is proven to be more effective.

Work with NHS Leeds and others to address medical and dental appointments made during the school day.

Work with schools to gather absence data more frequently to develop analysis and intervention.

The report also highlighted there were 47 permanent exclusions from secondary schools in 2009/10 – lower than the national rate.

The executive member for children’s services, Coun Judith Blake, said: “Attendance and exclusion has been identified as a key priority for children’s services across Leeds.

“We recognise how important it is for children and young people to have a consistent and uninterrupted education, highlighted when we compare academic achievement for pupils with good attendance records and those without.

“Unfortunately truancy at school is often linked with problems at home so it is even more important that we work with our partners to ensure we identify these vulnerable children early enough to make a difference.”