Improvements in Norfolk school absence figures

The proportion of Norfolk students regularly missing classes has reduced slightly, according to new figures.

The department for education has published data relating to absences during the 2011/12 school year.

It shows that 6pc of Norfolk students are now classed as “persistent absentees”, meaning they missed at least 15pc of classes or more than 46 sessions in a year.

The figure remains higher than the national average which is 5.2pc. Suffolk’s persistent absentees represent 5.7pc of students while in Cambridgeshire the figure is 5.3pc.

Persistent absentees remain more common at Norfolk high schools than primaries, with 8.7pc of Norfolk secondary pupils regularly missing lessons compared with 3.5pc of younger children.

Unauthorised absences are also down slightly, with 1pc – compared with 1.1pc in 2010/11 – of all sessions missed by students who did not have permission.

Overall absence is now at 5.6pc in Norfolk, 5.5pc in Suffolk and 5.2pc in Cambridgeshire.

Last night, Alison Thomas, cabinet member for children’s services at Norfolk County Council, said the improvement in the proportion of persistent absentees at both primary and secondary levels showed the county was moving in the right direction, but she was keen to reduce the problem further.

She added: “We recognise that poor attendance can have a significant impact on a child’s education with a direct link between attending school and attainment.”