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Truancy Truancy sweeps carried out during a TWC campaign to improve school attendance showed the borough has few "real" truants - most stay off school with parental blessings. The campaign aims to combat all types of truancy but particularly parents who condone truancy, allowing them to stay off school for reasons like birthdays or family holidays. School Attendance Week rewarded the primary and secondary schools with the most improved percentage attendance from the week of November 10-14 to the week of December 8-12.

 
Windmill Primary School at Brookside won the primary award and pupils at the school were presented with prizes. The Blessed Robert Johnson Catholic College won the secondary competition. Church Aston Infants School distinguished itself by recording a perfect 100 per cent attendance for the whole week.
 
Councillor Stephen Burrell, lead member, children and young people, said: "School attendance week was a great success at highlighting the importance of children attending school.
 
"Truancy sweeps were carried out and revealed that there are very few children staying off school without their parents' knowledge and that most truancy is in fact condoned.
 
"The simple fact is the safest place for a child is in school and as a borough we are working hard to improve our attendance figures.
 
"Although many schools were hit by flu and sickness bugs during the week, they still had competitions and celebrations to mark the week and I'd like to thank all the schools for their enthusiasm and participation."

(PICTURED:  Pupils at Brookside’s Windmill Primary School celebrated winning the primary school award in Telford & Wrekin Council’s School Attendance Week competition. The award was given to the borough school with the best percentage attendance increase between given weeks. Santa Claus delivered goodies and prizes and is pictured with Brookside pupils Bradley Bodden and Eden Podier.)