A CRACKDOWN on parents taking their children on holiday during term time has seen a drop in the number of school absences over the last year.

The level of pupils taking days off school across East Lancashire has fallen over the past 12 months to below the national average.

The statistics from the Department for Education show that overall absences in Lancashire County Council-controlled schools have gone from 4.8 per cent in 2012/13 to 4.1 per cent during the 2013/14 academic year and from 5.1 to 4.2 per cent respectively in Blackburn with Darwen.

Both local education authorities's absence rates have now fallen below the national average of 4.4 per cent.

The number of authorised absences in Lancashire has gone from four per cent to 3.3 per cent and from 4.2 per cent in Blackburn with Darwen to 3.3 per cent.

Truancy rates have been maintained at 0.8 and 0.9 per cent respectively over the two years.

However, the number of persistent absences from schools have dropped from 997 in 2012/13 in Blackburn to 685 and from 5,490 in LCC schools to 4,480.

The ban on term-time holidays, introduced by the government in September 2013, means headteachers can no longer grant up to 10 days holiday in special circumstances.

Instead they can only grant term-time leave in exceptional circumstances.

National Union of Teachers representative for Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen, Simon Jones, said: "It's good news that truancy and absent rates have fallen in Lancashire.

"I know schools put a great deal of effort into maximising pupil attendance so clearly these efforts are having an impact.

"Obviously pupils need to be in schools to benefit from the excellent teaching and learning that happens day in day out in schools."

School reform minister Nick Gibb said: "We know that missing school can be hugely detrimental to a pupil’s life chances - but we now have around 200,000 fewer young people regularly missing lessons than five years ago.

"Every single lost day counts - which is why as part of our plan for education we have put teachers back in charge so they can clamp down on classroom absence.

"Fewer school days are being lost than ever before thanks to our reforms - giving children the best possible chance to succeed."