TRUANCY rates at Darlington schools have reduced faster than the national average, council reports have revealed.

Official figures for the last academic year show that the number of pupils missing classes at town schools has fallen by 1.4 per cent.

But the number of children who have been expelled during the year to May 2007 is still a problem, with officer reports describing the figure as "very high".

Members of Darlington Borough Council's children and young people scrutiny committee will meet on Monday to discuss the figures.

Reports prepared for the meeting show that absence at secondary schools in Darlington have fallen by 1.7 per cent, while the figure for primary schools has gone down by 1.2 per cent.

Of the 30 younger level schools - junior, primary and infant - a total of 28 reduced their absences with one staying the same and one increasing.

A total of six out of seven secondary schools also slashed the number of classes missed.

Darlington has three schools classified by the Department for Children Schools and Families as Persistent Absence Schools. The schools which meet the criteria - Branksome, Eastbourne and Haughton - have more that 10 per cent of the school population with a total absence of 20 per cent or more.

But the report, prepared by Murray Rose, the authority's Director of Childrens Services, states that improvements have been made at each school in the last year.

Last year 47 pupils were excluded permanently from Darlington secondary schools. Although no children were expelled at primary level, the overall statistic is still a concern for education chiefs.

Mr Rose said: "Exclusions are still a cause for concern across the secondary phase although some schools are showing that certain strategies work for them.

"We will ensure best practice is shared across all schools."

The report will be discussed at a meeting of the children and young people scrutiny committee at 4pm at Committee Room 1 at the Town Hall.

The report is available to view online at www.darlington.gov.uk.