THE number of lessons missed through children not going to school in the autumn term in Bolton has gone up.

Education bosses say they are committed to reducing pupil absences after figures released by the Department for Education showed that 4.5 per cent of school sessions were missed through authorised and unauthorised absences — just above the national average and a slight increase on the previous year.

Children had to attend 73 days in the autumn term and days are made up of morning and afternoon sessions.

The number of classes missed through children skipping school — being absent without the school's permission — remained the same at one per cent, and more or less in line with the national picture of 0.9 per cent.

The number of sessions missed through authorised absence was also in line with national and regional averages.

Figures show that 2,045 pupils — or 5.2 per cent — missed at least 22 sessions or 11 days of school.

Last year that figure stood at 1,830 or 4.8 per cent of the school population.

There were 180 persistent absentees — or 0.5 per cent of the school population of 39,145 — who have missed 56 or more sessions.

The percentage of children persistently absent was in line with national averages.

A Bolton Council spokesman said: “Pupil absence figures can fluctuate each term, so we treat these figures with caution until the full year figures are released.

"There appears to have been a slight increase in overall absences nationally during the autumn term compared to the previous year, and Bolton’s figures have reflected this trend.

"However, we have fared slightly better than our 'statistical neighbours' — areas that have similar demographics to Bolton.

"The percentage of persistent absences across all schools has remained unchanged and is in line with both regional and national averages.

“We are committed to reducing pupil absences in the borough and in recent years have seen a decrease in figures due to the combined efforts of our schools and parents.

"We will continue to work very closely with schools to drive up standards and instil the importance of good attendance in all our pupils.”