Children missed almost 3.9 million days of school during the spring term as the truancy rate rose, Government figures show. According to statistics for the spring term, increasing numbers of pupils are not in lessons because of family holidays taken during term time without their headteachers’ approval. These made up 1.5 per cent of overall absence, up from 1.2 per cent for the same term last year. Almost 68,000 primary and secondary pupils skipped classes without permission on a typical day, through truancy, family holidays, illness and other reasons.

Overall truancy rates rose to 1.1 per cent this year from 1 per cent for the spring term 2008.