Absenteeism runs high in our schools

Oldham schools have some of the highest rates of unauthorised absence and truancy in the North-West, new statistics from the Department for Education show.

Fom autumn 2012 to spring 2013, 1.1 per cent of time at schools in the borough was lost through unauthorised absence.

The figure for primary and secondary schools combined is significantly higher than the North West average of 0.7 per cent.

Waterhead Academy recorded the highest rate of unauthorised absences - 10,789 across two terms, 3.3 per cent of total time missed. Of these 1,254 were unauthorised holidays while 1,412 were recorded as late pupils. Over 8,100 absences went unexplained.

Principal Nigel McQuoid said: “Waterhead Academy accepts that our attendance and lateness figures over the past years have not been good and, as a direct result, we have implemented much stricter practices to improve both figures.”

Medlock Valley primary school recorded the highest unexplained absence rate for primary schools, with 1,863 days missed — 3.3 per cent of the total.

Across Oldham, 5.2 per cent of school children, around 1,810 pupils, were classed as “persistent absentees” due to their absences over the term, both explained and unexplained.

Schools with the best unexplained absence record included Crompton House with only 440 days missed by pupils across the two terms, a percentage of 0.2 per cent, and 11 primary schools recorded rates of less than 0.1 per cent. Two schools, Friezland in Uppermill and St John’s Infant in Failsworth both recorded zero unexplained absences.