The Scottish Government

This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007

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Attendance and Absence in Scottish Schools 2005-06

05/12/2006

The latest statistics on attendance and absence in Scottish schools were published today.

Some of the findings, excluding S6 pupils, are:

• The overall rate of attendance was 93.1 per cent, slightly up from 93.0 per cent in 2004-05
• The rate of attendance for primary schools remained at 95.0 per cent. The rate for secondary schools was 90.4 per cent (90.2 per cent in 2004/05). The rate for special schools was 90.7 per cent (91.0 per cent in 2004-05)
• As in previous years, attendance at stages P1 and P7 was fairly stable, ranging from 94.7 per cent to 95.2 per cent. It then decreased steadily through to S4 (88.8 per cent), before increasing slightly in S5 and S6. Overall there was little difference in rates between boys and girls. However, boys did have noticeably better attendance rates from S4 to S6
• Seventy-nine per cent of pupils (including S6) had an attendance rate of 90 per cent or above. About 32,000 pupils (five per cent) had a 100 per cent attendance record. As last year, these figures only include pupils when they are at a school for more than half the year. The proportion of pupils with a 100 per cent attendance record has remained constant

Reported reasons for absence (including S6 pupils)

• Within the overall absence rate of 6.9 per cent, 3.2 per cent of days were recorded as sickness (about 4.20 million pupil-days). Sickness rates increase suddenly in secondary school, particularly amongst girls. Deprivation increased the likelihood of being absent due to sickness. The increase this year in reported sickness rates is again likely to be due to more accurate reporting of the sickness cases, where some schools were previously reporting them as "other authorised absence". However, there still appear to be many schools not recording sickness correctly
• The second most commonly reported reason for absence continued to be " other authorised absence", which accounted for 2.1 per cent of days. The drop from the 2.5 per cent in 2004/05 (3.5 per cent in 2003/04) shows the improvement in the recording practices of some local authorities. This category should only include lack of transport, weddings, bereavements, religious observances, sporting and cultural events not arranged by the school, and attendance at hearings
• About 139,000 pupils (20 per cent) who attended a school for more than half the year were recorded as truanting at least once during 2005/06, with less than ten per cent of pupils responsible for 90 per cent of time lost due to truancy, and less than two per cent of pupils responsible for 50 per cent of truancy
• 0.7 per cent of days (just below one million pupil-days) were lost due to truancy. Truancy rates throughout primary remain level for both girls and boys at 0.3 per cent (0.4 per cent last year). They then rise steeply until reaching their peak at 1.8 per cent in S4. Pupils registered for free school meals had a truancy rate four times that of other pupils in primary. This difference drops along secondary and reverses in S6
• As in 2004-05, 0.5 per cent of days were lost due to holidays, which equates to a total of 661,000 pupil-days lost, or just less than one day per pupil. Under a third of these days were authorised by the school. Although the amount of holidays has not decreased, schools are increasingly recording these as unauthorised
• 140,000 pupils (20 per cent, compared to 19 per cent in 2004/05) took holidays during term, but the average of just under five days each is slightly less than in 2004/05. Holiday absence rates were highest in primary school and lowest in S4 to S6
• As in 2004-05, 0.1 per cent of days were lost due to exceptional domestic circumstances. These were mainly short term and are considered authorised absence
• Absence from school due to temporary exclusion accounted for 0.1 per cent of days, as in the previous two years

Punctuality (including S6)

• Pupils were recorded late on 1.5 per cent of openings. Of these 98 per cent were recorded as arriving during the first half of the morning or afternoon
• As in 2004-05, there was a sharp increase in recorded lateness between P7 and S1, reaching a peak in S3. Boys continue to be late more often than girls in secondary

Summary absence information (excluding S6)

• Total authorised absence in primary schools was 4.1 per cent, in secondary schools it was 7.5 per cent, and in special schools 6.8 per cent
• Total unauthorised absence in primary schools was 0.9 per cent, in secondary schools it was 1.8 per cent, and in special schools it was 2.2 per cent
• Absence due to temporary exclusion in primary schools was 0.02 per cent, in secondary schools it was 0.23 per cent, and in special schools it was 0.36 per cent
• As in 2004-05, per pupil, the average total absence in primary schools was just under two school weeks (19 half days), out of a possible 38 school weeks; in secondary schools it was slightly above three and a half school weeks, (36 half days) and in special schools the figure was just above three and a half school weeks (35 half days) out of a possible 38 school weeks

Analysis of absence (including S6 pupils)

• On average, each day there were around 50,000 pupils absent (seven per cent), of which about 22,700 were sick, 5,000 were truanting, 3,600 were on holiday, and about 800 temporarily excluded
• About 444,000 pupils (64 per cent) had no unauthorised absence during the year, with 89 per cent of pupils having no more than one week unauthorised absence. Eleven per cent of pupils were responsible for 75 per cent of unauthorised absence
• Authorised absence rates were slightly higher amongst girls than boys, with unauthorised absence rates being fairly equal, and absence due to temporary exclusion being higher amongst boys
• Pupils living in urban areas were absent more often than those in rural areas
• In general, schools with higher levels of deprivation had higher levels of absence, with the effect being greater in secondary school. There were many schools which did not follow this trend. Pupils who were registered for free school meals were absent for an average of just below ten days more than those who were not, with the difference being greater amongst boys
• Pupils with a Record of Needs or Individualised Educational Programme in mainstream schools were absent for an average of four and a half days more than other pupils in those schools, with the difference being greater in secondary school. Of these, pupils with social and emotional behavioural difficulties have the highest rate of absence
• Children looked after by local authorities were absent on average ten more days than other pupils, with those looked after at home missing on average just above five and a half weeks of school
• Where a child has multiple risk factors (is registered for free meals, has a Record of Needs and is looked after) they are on average absent for just below five and a half weeks
• Attendance rates varied across the different ethnic groups, from 96 per cent among Asian Chinese to 77 per cent among Gypsy travellers