Tools in place to stop skivers
Technology which alerts parents that their child is skipping lessons is helping to deter truancy at Ossett School.
The software, called Truancy Call, automatically sends a text, email, or voicemail message to parents or guardians of children who are absent without reason at the start of the school day.
It gives parents the chance to respond with a message explaining their child's absence, even if they have no credit on their phone.
They are sent hourly messages until a response is given.
Ossett School, on Storrs Hill Road, has some of the best attendance figures in the district - but staff are keen not to let standards slip.
Neil Stott, assistant head teacher at the school, said there has been 38 pupils at the school this academic year with attendance records of less than 80 per cent, and said the vast majority of them have had medical reasons for missing school.
He said: "We've never really had problems with truancy, in fact our overall attendance record is phenomenal.
"But we want to make sure it stays that way. Ideally we like people to ring up before nine o'clock to say why their child will not be in. But there are one or two pupils here whose parents do not engage with the school at all, and that can make things difficult."
He said the software has also proven useful for spreading messages about school closures.
"If the school is closed due to snow you can easily send messages out to let parents know."
And although the system is not yet in operation with the school's Sixth Form, Mr Stott said he intends to implement it soon.
He said: "Some of the Sixth Form students are claiming Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), so it's important that they are attending."
Stephen Clarke, managing director of Truancy Call, said: "If the Government and schools are to continue successfully tackling truancy, it is vital that they implement early prevention strategies, so that children taking the odd day off here and there can be quickly identified, and the problem resolved before it gets to a stage when a child is persistently truanting."
Over 13 million school half days are lost due to unauthorised absence across the UK each year.
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Saturday 19 May 2012
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