(England only data, sorry...)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2012/apr/16/truancy-...
Interesting... I see Essex is in the middle for persistent truancy, for all its percieved as being a bit rough in parts.(and a bit posh in other parts, same as anywhere I guess!)
Is it that counties (or LAs) are so large that, as you say EB, good and bad schools even out over the area?
Of course, I thought a "truancy map" was going to show me where truants hang out during school time, not which schools they are truant from.
Oh thats easy Daeds... Wilkos, McDonalds, Poundland.... whoops are my prejudices showing? LOL
I am a bit dim and finding it really hard to compare areas with the way they've listed them.
As far as I can make out Lancashire had 2744 persistant absentees which is 3.6% and 490 penalty notices were issued making that 62.4 % of 1000 truants.
I'm not sure how that compares nationally without scrolling up and down and gettin confused, because they seem be listed by area and not figures?
Glad it wasnt just me ursh lol.