TRUANCY rates in county schools have fallen to well below the national average.
Statistics published this week by the Department for Children, Schools and Families show Buckinghamshire has one of the lowest rates of absenteeism in the country, with figures showing a current rate of 4.4 per cent.
The national rate of truancy - described as a 20 per cent absence from secondary school over a five week period - now stands at 6.1 per cent.
Initiatives including truancy sweeps and measures put in at individual schools have helped to reduce the level of absenteeism.
Marion Clayton, Buckinghamshire's Cabinet Member for Achievement and Learning, said: "We have made great strides in addressing truancy in this county and the latest results are really encouraging.
"We do not operate a 'Big Brother' approach, but focus instead on offering support to individual pupils. Behind every absence in a school register is a young person to whom we have a responsibility.
"The measures we have in place are primarily about safeguarding and helping them reach their potential."
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