THE NATIONAL AND LOCAL CONTEXT  

Concern about truancy and attendance is a central feature of the Government’s Social Inclusion Strategy, principally because:-  

• regular and punctual attendance at school is essential to the process of raising attainment.
• young people not in school are more likely to drift into crime or other anti-social activity.

As a consequence, LEAs have been set targets to reduce truancy in both the primary and secondary school sectors. Truancy, otherwise known as unauthorised absence, is defined by the DfEE as   "absence without leave from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absence".  

Attendance and absence figures for Wakefield, with national comparisons, for the last three years are included as Appendix 1. As will be seen, attendance overall in Wakefield has improved over the period. However, unauthorised absence has increased, possibly due to schools and the Education Welfare Service challenging parentally condoned absence.

Nevertheless, Government has placed considerable importance on reducing unauthorised absence and has made it quite clear to LEAs that they have a major role to play in reducing unauthorised absence in their area. It will be seen from this information that attendance at Wakefield schools is above the national average for secondary schools and in line with the national average in the primary sector.  

As a consequence, each LEA has been set targets and these are incorporated within the Education Development Plan.  

Refer to Table 1 for Unauthorised absence targets (%age of half days missed).   The targets set by the DfEE are challenging and represent a 60% reduction in unauthorised absence in the secondary sector and 57% in the primary sector by 2002.  

A number of initiatives are underway in the district and these are now all brought together within the strategy set out below.