Absenteeism from Primary Schools, 2008/09

Statistics on Absenteeism from Primary Schools in Wales, 2008/09 include data for Wales for the whole academic year 2008/09 and for England for the period up to the end of the spring term 2009.  The latest release updates the statistics previously released on 17 February 2009.

The key points from the latest release are:

In 2008/09,

• 6.8 per cent of half-day sessions were missed through authorised and unauthorised absence, an increase from 6.7 per cent in 2007/08.
• 1.0 per cent of half-day sessions were missed through unauthorised absence, an increase from 0.9 per cent in 2007/08.
• The percentage of half-day sessions missed due to both overall absence and unauthorised absence is higher in Wales compared with England, however the gap between continues to narrow.
• Boys and girls had the same rate of both overall and unauthorised absenteeism.
• A little under 5,500 pupils (2.8 per cent) had no absence from school in 2008/09.
• Just over one fifth of pupils account for around half the total number of absent sessions.

Contact

Tel: 029 2082 3599
E-mail: school.stats@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Next update

January 2011 (provisional - to be confirmed on the 'Due Out Soon' page)