28 February 2001

Schools Minister Jacqui Smith today congratulated 50 'Truancy Buster' schools for leading the way in the drive to cut truancy. The top three primary, secondary and special schools will each receive £10,000 and the remainder of the schools £8,000.

The winning schools who have done most to reduce and maintain low truancy levels over the last three years include:

· King Richard Secondary School in Portsmouth which cut truancy by over two thirds from an average of 11 days missed per pupil to 3 days;
· Belvue Special School in Ealing which succeeded in reducing truancy levels from an average of 14 days missed per pupil to under 5 days, cutting truancy by over two thirds;
· St Martin's C of E Primary School in Oldham which reduced truancy levels by over two thirds from an average of over 2 days missed per pupil to under a day; and
· St Augustine of Canterbury School in Oxford which cut truancy by over 80% from an average of 6 days per pupil to under a day.

Jacqui Smith praised the efforts of all the winning schools, which also had to improve the attendance of pupils, often in challenging circumstances.

Dramatic results were achieved by :

· improving registration procedures, including registration several times a day and electronic registration;
· introducing reward systems to encourage full attendance;
· forging stronger links between schools, parents and Education Welfare Services so that each plays their full part in tackling truancy;
· the use of Learning Mentors to follow up quickly on truancy and help turn disaffected pupils back to learning.

Schools found that such methods were often helped by other measures including a system where poor attenders are accompanied to school by other pupils with a good attendance record; a work related curriculum that enables Year 11 students to divide their time between school, college and work; and breakfast and After School Clubs where children can participate in various activities including cookery, drama, tennis and sculpture.

A total of £174 million is being provided through the Standards Fund in 2001-2 to support schools' work in tackling truancy and improving discipline and to help education authorities improve the education of excluded pupils.

Speaking at the awards ceremony at the New Connaught Rooms, in London, today, Jacqui Smith said:

"I am very pleased to announce the 50 schools which have been chosen for 'Truancy Buster' awards for 2000-01. Through their hard work and commitment, these schools have been able to reduce truancy, and improve their overall level of attendance, often under very challenging circumstances. It is extremely encouraging to see such excellent examples in action.

"I want every child to gain from the experience that learning can offer, and this means that children should be in school when they are required to be so. While we need to ensure that there are measures in place to check on a child's attendance, we need to make sure that schools make learning stimulating, fulfilling and fun.

"The Government is committed to reducing truancy by a third by 2002. Every day 50,000 children play truant from school, missing valuable learning experiences and reducing their chances of success in adult and working life. More funding is being made available to schools to tackle the problem of truancy and poor behaviour. In 2001-2002, £174 million will be provided - £137 million of it going straight to schools - to help tackle truancy.

"This is in addition to the resources available to schools for mentors and in-school discipline measures in most of England's urban areas through our Excellence in Cities programme, and the funding we have made available through the Children's Fund to prevent poverty and tackle social exclusion."

Jacqui Smith also confirmed that from 1 March this year, a new higher penalty will come into force for parents convicted of school attendance offences. The maximum fine that can be imposed will rise from £1,000 to £2,500, with an ultimate sanction of up to three months imprisonment. Courts will also be able to secure the attendance of parents in court.

She said:

"Parents have a clear responsibility to ensure their children turn up for school. Denying their children an education is denying their children a future. Most parents accept that duty and want to be closely involved with their school and their children's education. But where it is clear that despite the best efforts of schools and Local Education Authorities, parents knowingly fail to ensure that their child attends school, the penalties must reflect the seriousness of the offence."

Editor's Notes

This Press Notice applies to England.

1. This is the first Truancy Buster Award event recognising schools who have done most to reduce truancy over the last academic year. The 50 award winners are those schools who have reduced truancy the most, have reduced truancy in challenging circumstances, or have maintained consistently low levels of truancy whilst facing challenging circumstances. At the same time, schools have either maintained or improved levels of attendance.
2. Each school has been given an award of £8,000, with three schools receiving a higher award of £10,000. The latter are those who have done the most to reduce truancy for their category of school (primary, secondary, special). A full list of award winners, are attached.
3. In 2001-2002 the Social Inclusion: Pupil Support Grant will be £174 million. £137 million of this will be going directly to schools to help them tackle truancy and poor behaviour, of which £10 million will support the establishment of new Learning Support Units to ensure that disruptive pupils are taken out of the classroom. Local authorities are receiving £36 million to provide co-ordinated support in tackling bad behaviour, truancy, and providing education to excluded pupils.
4. From 1 March 2001 higher penalties can be imposed on parents convicted of school attendance offences. Parents who know that their child is not attending school and are not taking any reasonable action to secure their attendance, could face fines of up to £2,500, and/or a term of imprisonment of up to three months. The higher offence will also allow courts to secure the attendance of parents in court. This provision was included in the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000, which received Royal Assent in November 2000.

Click here to see tables Truancy Tables

Contact Details

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Press Notice 2001/0111