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Absenteeism from Secondary Schools, 2007/08

Welsh Assembly Government

Absenteeism from Secondary Schools, 2007/08

The latest National Statistics on absenteeism from secondary schools in Wales produced by the Welsh Assembly Government were released on 30 October 2008 according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.

National Statistics Kitemark Statistics on Absenteeism from Secondary Schools in Wales, 2007/08 include data for Wales for the period up to the late May Bank Holiday 2008 and for England for the period up to the end of the spring term 2008. The latest release updates the statistics previously released on 31 October 2007.

The Release
Statistical Release 170/2008 (PDF 183kB)

The key points from the latest release are:

  • 9.0 per cent of half-day sessions were missed through authorised and unauthorised absence, a decrease from 9.3 per cent in 2006/07.
  • 1.8 per cent of half-day sessions were missed through unauthorised absence, the same as in 2006/07.
  • The percentage of half-day sessions missed due to both authorised and unauthorised absence is higher in Wales than in England.
  • Girls had a higher rate of overall absenteeism than boys, but both genders had the same rate of unauthorised absence.
  • Nearly 7,500 pupils (4.2 per cent) had no absence from maintained secondary schools.
  • Just over one fifth of pupils in maintained secondary schools accounted for more than half of the total number of absent sessions.
  • Over 2,100 pupils had more than 50 per cent absence from maintained secondary schools.

Contact:
Tel: 029 2082 3599
E-mail: school.stats@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Next Update:
August 2009 (provisional - to be confirmed on the Due Out Soon page)