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

Official figures for the past 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 this year is still a problem - with official reports describing the figure as "very high".

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

Reports prepared for the meeting show that absences 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 reduced 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 than ten 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 children's services, states that improvements have been made at each school in the past year.

Mr Rose writes: "Early analysis of their individual information for the last academic year shows that they have a reduction in the number of persistent absentees of between 29 and 31 per cent.

"This is an indication of how hard the schools are working with the authority in trying to change the patterns of attendance behaviour for some of these young people."

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 in committee room one at the Town Hall.

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