Truancy falls in West Berkshire schools

A total of 20,625 pupils were enrolled at state-funded secondary schools, state-funded primary schools, and special schools in West Berkshire in 2010/11.
The overall percentage of absence, based on the percentage of half days missed in an academic year, was 5.1 per cent in 2010/11 compared to 5.34 per cent in 2009/10, according to statistics released by the Department for Education.
Persistent absence also fell in the district from 2.3 per cent in 2009/10 to 2.1 per cent in 2010/11.
Overall absence was higher in neighbouring areas such as Wiltshire (5.6 per cent), Reading (5.5 per cent), and Hampshire (5.4 per cent) in 2010/11.
Only Reading has a lower percentage of persistent absence, with 1.9 per cent last year, with Hampshire at 2.4 per cent and Wiltshire at 2.7 per cent.
Although overall absence and persistent absence in West Berkshire’s state-funded secondary schools and state-funded primary schools decreased, these percentages increased in the district’s special schools.
Overall absence increased from 7.16 per cent to 7.5 per cent, while persistent absence increased from 4.5 per cent to 5.7 per cent.
However, compared to neighbouring areas West Berkshire’s absence figures in special schools is low.
Wiltshire recorded 9 percent overall absence and 8.2 persistent absence, while Reading had 11.9 per cent overall absence and 13.4 persistent absence, with 8.7 overall absence and 7.8 persistent absence in Hampshire.
West Berkshire's executive councillor for children and young people, Irene Neill said: "The Council is working continuously to reduce persistent absence. These efforts seem to be having a positive effect as the current figures indicate that West Berkshire compares favourably with national data."
Nationally, overall truancy reduced from 6 per cent in 2009/10 to 5.8 per cent in 2010/11.