Failing to attend school regularly can have a major impact on young people's education, their future and their life chances. Examination of data from 2005 shows a strong correlation between average absence levels in schools and their pupils’ attainment: 90.6% of pupils gain 5 or more good GCSE grades at schools with average absence of 7.5 days or fewer per pupil - but only 31.3% at schools with average absence of more than 20 days per pupil; and 87.5% of pupils reach Key Stage 2 Level 4 Maths in schools where pupils average fewer than 7.5 days absence a year - but this drops to 62.1% in schools where average absence is more than 15 days.
Research shows that young people who are absent from school without permission are most vulnerable and are easily drawn into crime and anti-social behaviour and more likely to be unemployed after leaving school. The 2004 Youth Crime Survey showed that 45% of young people in mainstream education who have committed an offence say they have been absent from school without their schools’ approval. It also showed that 62% of 10-16 year olds who have committed criminal or anti-social behaviour have also had periods of unauthorised absence.
School attendance and exclusion sweeps aim to tackle non-attendance and enforce parents’ responsibility for their children’s whereabouts during the first five days of exclusion. School attendance and exclusion sweeps are carried out, during normal school hours, by partnerships of Police Officers and Education Welfare Officers. School attendance and exclusion sweeps are also a good way of bringing together a number of agencies in a joint effort to tackle unnecessary absence from school. Under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, the Police have powers to pick up (but not arrest) children who are registered at a school and who are absent without permission and take them to a designated area or, sometimes, back to school. Generally this power will be used through occasional 'sweeps' where Police and Education Welfare Officers join forces for a day and target particular areas for example in shopping centres.
The Department has ceased to coordinate and collect data for national attendance sweeps (formerly known as truancy sweeps). The Autumn 2006 data collections are the final data published by the Department. However, we expect local authorities to continue to raise awareness of the importance of school attendance and continue to plan and run attendance sweeps throughout the year, organising them for times which suit local needs and operational pressures. We know that the majority of local authorities are well established in running attendance and exclusions sweeps throughout the year, planning in advance with the Police, agreeing dates that are suitable to both the Education Welfare Service and the Police.
School Attendance and Exclusions Sweeps Effective Practice and Advice - This supercedes 'Truancy Sweep Effective Practice and Advice' and is for local authorities and others involved in attendance and exclusion sweeps.
Data from the previous sweeps show that, of 125,743 pupils stopped, 41% of them were truanting and 38% of those truants were with an adult. (A break down of this data can be found at the links below).
Truancy Sweep Data Autumn 2002 - Autumn 2003 - Data collected from national truancy sweeps and shown by Government Office Region
Truancy Sweep Data Spring 2004 - Data collected from national truancy sweeps and shown by Government Office Region
Truancy Sweep Data Autumn 2004 - Data collected from national truancy sweeps and shown by Government Office Region
Truancy Sweep Data Spring 2005 - Data collected from national truancy sweeps and shown by Government Office Region
Truancy Sweep Data Autumn 2005 - Data collected from national truancy sweeps and shown by Government Office Region
Truancy Sweep Data Spring 2006 - Data collected from national truancy sweeps and shown by Government Office Region
Truancy Sweep Data Autumn 2006 - Data collected from national truancy sweeps and shown by Government Office Region
NFER National Findings on Truancy Sweeps - Evaluation of truancy sweep follow-ups. A summary of approaches made by seven local authorities
