The figures plunge Greenhead into the worst 200 schools in the country.

Government tables published this week reveal 4.3 per cent of half-days missed last year were due to unauthorised absence. that compares with just 2.7 per cent the year before.

The truancy level has risen despite new initiatives to combat the problem funded by Keighley's Single Regeneration Budget (SRB).

Grant-maintained Oakbank School, which has about 1,200 pupils, has seen a marginal fall in truancy from 3.6 to 3.5 per cent - but it is still among the worst 200.

The figures compare with only a 0.7 per cent unauthorised absence rate at Keighley's other upper school - Roman Catholic Holy Family.

Greenhead's chairman of governors Andy Mudd, says: "This is unacceptably high and something will have to be done about it. It is disappointing."

Schemes involving Keighley College have been set up to offer young people alternatives which are in line with the initiatives being promoted by the government.

One of the issues at Greenhead, which has a majority of pupils from Asian families, is that a number of children are taken away from school by parents to visit family abroad and this adds to the absence figure.

Oakbank chairman of governors Mark Curtis says: "I am surprised, given the work we have done and the initiatives set up to combat the problem." He adds that he wants time to study a breakdown of the figures.

He says the school has worked very hard with Keighley College to establish a system which identifies truants, and then to set up linked vocational courses to attempt to keep the youngsters in education and give them skills.

Conor Davis, head-teacher at Holy Family, says staff tackle truancy in a three-pronged attack. "We have a school counsellor, pro-active heads of year and a mentoring system," he says.

"If the head of year and the school counsellor are sitting in the child's living room talking about good attendance that does make a difference."

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