Parents have accused a high school of intimidating families by threatening to send police to check on absent pupils.
Mums and dads with children at Mossley Hollins High School, in Mossley, Tameside, were sent a newsletter on Friday, with part of it warning them about future 'attendance home visits'.
It explains that every half term there will be specific 'days of action where unannounced home visits will be carried out' and 'even if your child has only been absent for that day' you may well receive a visit.
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And just in case parents were in any doubt as to how serious the school is treating the issue, it warned that police could also be calling at pupils' doors.
"The police will also be supporting the school in carrying out home visits for students who are absent from school," states the letter. "During each term there will be specific days of action where some of our local police will be joining our attendance team in making home visits."
It goes on to state that parents whose children are 'absent for a genuine illness' need not worry, adding: "This is just another part of our work in ensuring that our attendance continues to be very strong and children get the education to which they are fully entitled."
But it's not gone down well with some parents, who say the school is going too far and a warning like this is 'a bit rich' on the same week when further teacher strike days are planned.
One mum, who shared details of the letter on social media, said: "I’m positive that parents who are already stressed by their children being off school when they are sick and unable to attend are not being helped by such intimidating harassment tactics."
It was also shared in a Facebook community page, where others were equally critical - of the police as well as the school.
"So the police can’t attend incidents for days, but can turn up if your kids are off school??" said one.
"Well if I had a child at school and they rocked up at my door they soon wish they hadn’t," said another. "I can understand visits like when I was young by the truant officer after continuing absence, but a child being off one day, no way."
Not everyone thinks it's a bad idea though. Others suggested that families need to 'work with school, not against them' and that 'if kids are genuinely ill then it’s not a problem'.
"I think it’s a good idea," said one. "If a kid's genuinely sick and there’s a visit, what’s the problem?"
"Get a grip, other schools do this too," said another. "If your child is genuinely ill then you have nothing to worry about. They will be targeting those who can't be bothered and are absent all the time.
"If you don't like the school rules then don't send your child to Hollins. Parents are told exactly what to expect at the Open Evening."
Drew Duncan, executive headteacher at Mossley Hollins, said nobody had contacted the school to complain and, had they done so, he would have been able to 'clarify any communication' sent out.
He also highlighted the concerns raised by government over the number of children missing school for reasons other than illness as one of the reasons for the action.
"Whilst we are delighted to report that the attendance figures at Mossley Hollins High School are significantly above the national figures for this year and last year, we still have fewer students attending school than we did before the pandemic and we are worried for them," said Mr Duncan.
"Every winter there is illness absence and we always support families over illness absence."
He said that every school does attendance home visits 'in line with direct guidance from our local authority' and said any action on student absence is dealt with 'on an individual basis' taking all the various factors into account.
With any child who is absent but not ill representing 'a safeguarding issue', he stressed 'we would not be doing our job if we ignored that.
That's why the school is working closely with PCSOs as they have 'strong links with schools and families in the area' - who they 'listen to, support and work with' to help them get their children into school.
Mr Duncan stressed that the school follows the national guidance on improving attendance ' to the letter' and that 'guidance has been really helpful as our attendance continues to rise and more and more of our children are getting the education they deserve'.
He added: "Our Attendance Team has already been highly successful in monitoring, expecting, listening, understanding and formalising support for the small number of parents who are genuinely struggling to get their child back into school. We have had major successes and real gratitude from those mothers and fathers.
"But we also have a duty to ‘expect’ and ‘enforce’ when a child is not ill but is not attending."
As for the strike days, Mr Duncan said that schools 'have no control over legally permissible national strike action by one Teacher Union', but that on each strike day the school has stayed open for families.
During this week's strike days on Wednesday and Thursday Year 11 will be in as normal, with just one lesson suspended each day. On Wednesday Year 9 will be in school with remote learning for the other years and on Thursday, Year 10 will be in with the rest online.
On both days any students considered 'vulnerable' will be able to attend as normal.
A spokesperson for GMP said partnership approaches between the police and schools is 'something that happens force-wide, not just in Tameside' and if any parent had a specific neighbourhood concern, they would 'address it'.
Inspector John Cesarz, from GMP’s Tameside Prevention Hub, said: “Tameside has two school engagement officers (SEOs) that are not just for Mossley Hollins, but are attached to and support every secondary school in the borough as well as some primary schools.
“This is not something unique to Tameside, each district across the force has SEOs and they are part of the Violence Reduction Unit.
“Their primary role is to engage with the schools and provide intervention and diversion with children before they become involved in the criminal justice system.
“They also provide support to the schools in relation to welfare issues like long-term absenteeism or where there is an identified welfare issue, for instance domestic violence.”
The full excerpt from the school newsletter states:
"We are constantly striving to ensure that our attendance is outstanding, working closely with our families and primary partners. If your child is absent from school, we have a duty to ascertain the reason for absence at the earliest convenience and to determine whether the absence is justified or whether further evidence is required such as medical reports.
Each half term we will be identifying days of action where unannounced home visits will be carried out. If your child is absent from school on any of these dates, you may well receive a visit, even if your child has only been absent for that day.
We are also working very closely with the local police to help them build ever-stronger partnerships with the local community and to improve relationships with young people and families.
The police will also be supporting the school in carrying out home visits for students who are absent from school. During each term there will be specific days of action where some of our local police will be joining our attendance team in making home visits.
As above if your son/daughter is absent from school on this day, you may well get a visit. Please do not worry if your child is absent for a genuine illness. This is just another part of our work in ensuring that our attendance continues to be very strong and children get the education to which they are fully entitled."
What do you think about the attendance visits? Does your child's school do something similar? Let us know in the comments here.
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