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1.1. This document contains the results of the attendance and absence survey for 2005/06. Information relates to local authority and mainstream grant aided schools only.

Note on interpretation of data

1.2. The data in this publication accurately reports the recorded information on pupils' attendance. However, these records will be affected by ongoing differences in recording procedures across local authorities.

1.3. As stated last year, the data suggest that several local authorities do not appear to be fully following the current guidance on the recording of absence. In 2005/06 there were still seven authorities (Argyll and Bute, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire) who reported high rates of "other authorised absence", where analysis of the data suggests that much of this absence is likely to be either sickness or truancy. It appears that some authorities use "other authorised absence" as the initial default for absence, with the resulting danger that unexplained absence goes unrecorded.

1.4. Dundee City also continue not to separately report data on pupils missing the majority of a session due to lateness.

1.5. Comparisons between authorities will therefore be affected by these differences in recording, and it should not be stated that other authorities necessarily have, for example, worse sickness or truancy rates. These differences will also affect the summary absence information used in school handbooks, the Scottish Schools Online website, and the National Priorities indicators.

1.6. The national figures, particularly for sickness, other authorised absence and truancy will also be affected. This means that year on year comparisons are not necessarily valid if individual local authorities have progressively implemented the guidance.

1.7. The Scottish Executive guidance also states that family holidays during term time should only be authorised under exceptional circumstances. Although the numbers are reducing, there are still several authorities which appear to be authorising a large number of such holidays.

Summary information for 2005/06 (excluding S6)

2.1. The overall rate of attendance was 93.1 per cent, slightly up from 93.0 per cent in 2004/05.

2.2. 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).

2.3. 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.

2.4. 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)

3.1. 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.

3.2. 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.

3.3. 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.

3.4. 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.

3.5. 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.

3.6. 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.

3.7. 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.

3.8. Absence from school due to temporary exclusion accounted for 0.1 per cent of days, as in the previous two years.

Punctuality (including S6)

4.1. 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.

4.2. 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)

5.1. 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.

5.2. 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.

5.3. 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.

5.4. 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)

6.1. 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.

6.2. 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.

6.3. 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.

6.4. Pupils living in urban areas were absent more often than those in rural areas.

6.5. 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.

6.6. 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.

6.7. 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.

6.8. 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.

6.9. Attendance rates varied across the different ethnic groups, from 96 per cent among Asian Chinese to 77 per cent among Gypsy travellers.

Local authority analysis

7.1. As stated in the introduction, comparisons of local authority data will be affected by the extent to which they have complied with guidance on recording absence. One aspect of non-compliance is that until the reason for an absence is explained, schools are meant to record a pupil as "unexplained absence" (part of the truancy category). However, it appears that some authorities use "other authorised absence" as the default. There is a danger that this will result in lower truancy/unexplained absence figures for these authorities.

7.2. The percentage attendance in primary schools by local authority ranged from 93.3 per cent (Glasgow City) to 96.3 per cent (East Dunbartonshire), and in secondary schools from 87.1 per cent (Glasgow City) to 94.1 per cent (East Renfrewshire). The range in attendance rates reflects the differing prevalence of risk factors, as previously identified, found in local authority populations.

BACKGROUND NOTES

Definitions

1. The Scottish Executive Circular 5/03, including its annex and addendum, updated guidelines from the Scottish Office Circulars 1/95 and 10/95, giving specific guidance to schools and education authorities on the categorisation of attendance and absence.

2. Holidays taken during term time must be categorised as unauthorised absence. However, it is acceptable under exceptional circumstances for schools to authorise a family holiday during term time. Such circumstances may include a family holiday judged to be important to the wellbeing and cohesion of the family, following serious or terminal illness, bereavement or other traumatic events. It should not include such reasons as the availability of cheap holidays, the availability of desired accommodation, poor weather experienced during school holidays, holidays which overlap the beginning or end of term, or parental difficulty obtaining leave (with local judgement applied in cases where evidence is provided by the employer that it cannot accommodate leave during school holidays without serious consequences).

3. Pupils arriving late are marked as such, with a distinction made for those arriving in the second half of a morning or the second half of the afternoon. Where summary data is necessary, if a pupil has attended most of an opening it is counted as attendance, but if they have been absent for most of a session it is included as authorised absence. They are of course still separately identified as being late but present for some of the time in the schools' systems for management purposes. Schools were also given the possibility of including all late marks on a pupil's record as attendance, if it is deemed beneficial for encouraging attendance. The distinction is also used in judging attendance records of those receiving bursaries and allowances.

4. Further details can be obtained from the circular and addendum

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/edc05-00.asp

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/ac503a-00.asp

5. Prior to 2003/04, information was collected at school level, by stage up to S5, in the four categories: attendance, authorised absence, unauthorised absence due to temporary exclusion, other unauthorised absence. From 2003/04 information is collected at individual level, enabling linkage to pupil characteristics collected in the pupil census, and is collected in the wider range of attendance and absence categories published in this document.

6. The Scottish Executive has published draft attendance guidance for consultation. Consultation on Engaged and Involved will last from 5 December 2006 until 27 February 2007. The draft guidance:

The consultation paper is available from www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations

Problems with the data

7. While information is received at pupil level, the new unique pupil identifier which could be used for tracking pupils who move school was not fully available for the 2005/06 attendance data. This means that in analysis where pupils are counted (e.g. proportion of pupils with 90 per cent or more attendance) pupils who have moved schools during the academic year would have been counted as two pupils with part year data rather than one pupil with full data. To avoid this, in these calculations we have included only those pupils who have been in a school for over half a year. In other analysis, where data has been linked to pupil characteristics from the pupil census, we are only able to use the attendance record from the original school. This was possible for 94 per cent of pupils. The overall summary figures however are unaffected by this problem.

8. As stated in the introduction, several local authorities do not appear to be using the full range of absence categories and are recording most authorised absences as "other authorised absence". This does not affect the summary attendance rates for these authorities. It does however affect the detailed categories of absence, both at local and national level.

9. We understand that some local authorities are using "other authorised absence" as the default for as yet unexplained absences. There is a danger that this incorrectly reduces their unauthorised absence rates. Dundee City Council have not reported their late figures on the same basis as other authorities, which would slightly increase their attendance rates.

Coverage

10. Attendance and absence information is provided to the Scottish Executive by the local authorities and managers of mainstream grant-aided schools. This report does not give information on attendance and absence in grant-aided special schools, independent schools or pre-school establishments.

11. The information shown for attendance and absence is for the academic year. Schools which closed during the 2005/06 session, and for which data was available, were included.

12. The attendance and absence of S6 pupils have been excluded from some of the summary figures as they are beyond the age of compulsory schooling. However, S6 pupils have been included in the analysis of attendance and absence by stage and other pupil characteristics. Each table states whether S6 pupils have been included.

Calculation

13. Percentages for authorised and unauthorised absence relate to the total number of possible attendances. For many schools this is 380 half-day sessions during the school year. However, all schools in the Lothians and Edinburgh and three schools in Highland operate 342 (longer) half-day sessions in the school year.

14. The local authority average is the average number of half-days authorised or unauthorised absence for all pupils in local authority schools only, based on a 380 half day year (i.e. scaled up for the Lothians and Edinburgh). The national average is the average number of half-days authorised or unauthorised absence for local authority and mainstream grant-aided schools in Scotland.

15. All percentages are rounded separately, figures may consequently not sum to 100 per cent.

General

16. This is a National Statistics publication. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference.

17. The tables and charts are also available through the following link:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00548

18. The report was edited by: Mal Cooke, Paula Lopez, Carrie Graham and Colin Gallacher

19. Public enquiries (non-media) about the information contained in this Statistical Publication Notice should be addressed to: Mal Cooke, Scottish Executive Education Department, Room 1-B, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ. Telephone 0131 244 1689 or e-mail
school.stats@scotland.gsi.gov.uk .

20. Media enquiries about the information in this Statistical Publication Notice should be addressed to: Marion Mackay 0131 244 3070

5th December, 2006

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