Stoke-on-Trent schools with worst attendance as 1 in 15 primary pupils fail to return

-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


Stoke-on-Trent has been named on a list of areas with the worst primary school attendance rates in the country. More than one in every 15 pupils were absent from the classroom in the city during the first week back after Christmas.

While some children had been given permission to be out of lessons, the city's unauthorised absence rate was among the highest at 4.9%. That means around one in 20 primary-aged children were out of school without a reason.

Stoke-on-Trent was named sixth on the list for worst overall attendance rates, with a figure of 8.6% following the Christmas break. It was the only West Midlands area in the top 40 for worst attendance rates, according to latest Department for Education statistics.

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The areas with the worst attendance rate were Kirklees in Yorkshire and Wirral, Merseyside, with 11.1%. The list provided more evidence of the country's north/south divide. The nine areas with the worst attendance rates were all in the north or Midlands.

The latest figures come amid fears attendance rates haven't fully recovered since Covid, with some parents simply refusing to send their kids to school. It comes as there are plans for greater scrutiny of home schooling over fears too many children may be receiving a poorer education outside of schools.

Fines for unauthorised absences were also been hiked from £60 to £80 - rising to £160 if not paid within a set time period - last September in a bid to force more parents to comply with the rules. This was also aimed at cracking down on parents taking their kids out of school to go on holiday during term time, which many families choose to do because holidays tend to be cheaper, BirminghamLive reports.

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