Parents in Knowsley could get texts when children don’t show up at school under new plans revealed by the government today.
The borough is one of four areas chosen by the government for targeted support to tackle attendance rates in school.
Under the plans, an attendance mentor programme run by Barnados will be introduced into Knowsley as well as Doncaster, Stoke-on-Trent and Salford to work with persistently and severely absent children and their families.
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The plans include the expansion of the Attendance Hubs programme with nine new lead hub schools having been identified alongside the the expansion of the attendance mentors scheme focused in areas of the country with the highest levels of pupil absence.
The new hubs will support up to 500 children in primary, secondary and alternative provision in schools in England, aimed at improving attendance by sharing resources and effective practice.
One of the practices that hubs could bring in may involve sending out automatic text messages to parents of children who do not turn up at school. Data can also be used to identify children and risk of low attendance to ensure early intervention.
The measures build on the Government’s attendance strategy which involves new expectations for schools, trusts and local authorities as well as the implementation of a national data dashboard to give up to date data about school attendance.
A spokesperson for the Department for Education said that improving attendance was “key to boosting attainment” with evidence demonstrating a correlation between high attendance and attainment levels across all school years.
The department is also asking for data from local authorities, schools and agencies working with children about those missing education who are neither on a school roll or being suitably home educated.
Schools minister NicK Gibb said: “We know that the best place for children to learn is in the classroom, and the vast majority of children are currently in school and learning.
“Though pupil attendance is continuing to recover, the pandemic has still had a real impact on pupil absence in school.
“That is why we’re expanding some of our most important attendance measures today – including the attendance hubs and mentoring programmes, to ensure children have the best chance of receiving a high-quality education.”
Barando’s North assistant director Emma Ramsay said the charity was “excited” to expand the attendance mentor pilot programme into new areas including Knowsley.
Ms Ramsay said: “We are passionate about helping pupils overcome the barriers they face, and are sure these areas will benefit significantly from the service.”
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