FEWER children are cutting class at Southampton and Hampshire schools.

Absence figures released by the Government reveal there was a ten per cent drop in the number of half-days missed by Southampton secondary school pupils in the last year.

But, despite the dramatic improvement, many more lessons are missed in the city than the national average.

And combined statistics for the 2009 autumn term and 2010 spring term reveal there is still a large hardcore of children who persistently truant from school.

Almost one in 14 Southampton secondary school pupils – 7.3 per cent – missed the equivalent of at least 32 days in a single term.

That is significantly better than the 9.7 per cent who were classed as persistently absent in the same terms a year earlier, but remains much higher than the 4.5 per cent of youngsters in that bracket nationally.

But a large drop in the overall number of half days missed through unauthorised absence has helped Southampton’s schools close the gap on national attendance rates.

At primary level, overall absence fell slightly, but the percentage of lessons missed without consent went up slightly – in line with the national trend – and Southampton still has a significantly higher proportion of persistently absent youngsters than the country as a whole.

The figures come after the city recorded significantly improved results this year in both Key Stage 2 results for 11- year-olds and GCSE grades achieved by 16-year-olds.

A series of initiatives have been used in the city in recent years to improve attendance, ranging from prosecuting parents to schemes offering incentives like free curries and theme park tickets for kids who don’t miss lessons.

Southampton City Council leader, Councillor Royston Smith said: “We know we still have a lot to do to improve absence rates further and will continue working with our schools to ensure as many children as possible are going to school every day.”

Absence rates also fell in schools across Hampshire, where levels of missed secondary and primary school lessons – either with or without consent – remain lower than the national average.

Hampshire County Council’s education boss, Councillor Roy Perry said: “I’m always pleased to see positive results for Hampshire schools.

“We look at these tables very closely to see where there are areas that we might be able to help, but I’m delighted to see the positive direction that the Hampshire schools are moving in.”

School Absence Rates

Secondary Schools

Area Authorised Unauthorised Overall absence Persistent absence Hampshire 5.5 (5.76) 1.28 (1.39) 6.77 (7.14) 4.7 (5.8) IOW 6.17 (6.39) 1.06 (1.39) 7.23 (7.14) 4.8 (5.2) Southampton 5.48 (5.84) 2.83 (3.35) 8.31 (9.2) 7.3 (9.7) England 5.44 (5.81) 1.4 (1.47) 6.84 (7.28) 4.5 (5.7)

Primary Schools

Area Authorised Unauthorised Overall absence Persistent Hampshire 4.63 (4.72) 0.4 (0.37) 5.03 (5.08) 1.5 (1.7) IOW 4.81 (5.0) 0.55 (0.38) 5.36 (5.38) 1.4 (1.4) Southampton 4.75 (4.93) 1.15 (1.02) 5.91 (5.95) 2.8 (3.0) England 4.67 (4.81) 0.68 (0.65) 5.34 (5.46) 1.8 (2.2)