A record number of truancy fines was issued in 2012/13, according to new figures released today.
The figures show that 52,370 penalty notices were issued in 2012 to 2013, up from 41,224 the previous year.
Separate figures also show that the number of children ‘persistently absent’ from school has dropped by nearly a third since the introduction of new powers to improve attendance.
The figures show 300,895 pupils were persistently absent in 2012-13, down from 433,130 in 2009-10. There were also 7.7 million fewer school days lost to overall absence, with 130,000 fewer pupils missing 15% of school.