BURY'S pupils are once more leading the way by turning up for lessons and not bunking off.

New figures show that Bury is the fourth best education authority in England for its low level of school truancy.

The overall rate for unauthorised absence locally is 0.35 as a percentage of half-day sessions missed, which is less than half the national average of 0.81. This combined figure can be broken down into separate rates for primary and secondary schools.

Bury's primary score is 0.21, the 17th best of the 150 councils, while the secondary score of 0.5 is the joint second best.

Councillor Maggie Gibb, executive member for children and young people, said: "School attendance is essential if our young citizens of the future are going to develop fully and have the kind of education they need for 21st Century living.

"It is wonderful to know that we are achieving this in Bury and we will continue to work with our schools, parents, carers and young people to maintain and improve these attendance figures."

Bury Council's education welfare service employs a range of strategies to improve attendance.

They include parenting contracts to penalty notices, family support and prosecutions.

It also carries out truancy sweeps, promotes attendance in the media, gives certificates for improving attendance and awards for those who score 100 per cent attendance.