Calling Time On Truancy.
The DfES has set a target to reduce school attendance levels as a whole so that by 2008 school absence is reduced by eight per cent compared to 2003. In order to do this, they recommend that schools make first day contact by telephone, email or text with the parent or carer for all pupils absent without a known reason. One company that can help with this is Truancy Call (stand G71), whose service enables school staff to implement first day contact with parents of absentees via text message, phone call and email.
After registration has been completed each day, Truancy Call reads live data from the school management system on the pupils that are absent and then automatically calls/texts or emails parents. Once parents have responded to the message, using the same method of communication, they will receive no further contact. If there is no response, the system will automatically keep trying up to 8 pm. Responses are stored at the school, where staff can add the appropriate attendance code and date of the child’s return, which is then written back to the management system.
For BETT 2006 only, any school that signs up for a demonstration of the system which completes a 30-day free trial will receive £50 of Amazon vouchers. Also showcasing from Truancy Call Limited at stand G71 will be Call Parents, a general one-way messaging system, and Text Someone, which gives pupils the opportunity to report incidents of bullying, theft, crime or any unwanted behaviour in confidence to schools, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Online Access To Vital School Records.
SIMS Learning Gateway from Capita Education Services (www.capitaes.co.uk), which will be launched on stand D20 at BETT 2006, will enable schools, local authorities and regional broadband consortia to populate their websites with the goldmine of pupil information held in their management information systems. SIMS Learning Gateway is a simple, cost-effective solution to the growing need for wider access to information about learners from the many stakeholders in the education process, including pupils, parents, government authorities and the schools themselves. Using this solution, pupil data stored in SIMS, such as assessment and attendance information, as well as school financial data, can be securely published to a school’s website without the need for complex technical skills.