School to charge parents £65 for each GCSE exam if pupil’s attendance drops below 90%

A school plans to charge parents £65 for each GCSE exam if their child’s attendance drops below 90 per cent.

Colchester Academy in Essex is introducing the scheme in an effort to cut down on truancy.

If a pupil misses the equivalent of 20 lessons in a school year in a subject, their parents will be asked to pay £65 for that subject’s GCSE exam.

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Pupils have been told about the initiative in an assembly and letters were also sent home to their parents or guardians.

Principal Fiona Pierson, who introduced the plan, said: “Since sending this letter out we have seen an improvement in Year 11 attendance of 1.1 per cent.

“In addition, the number of students who have an attendance figure below 90 per cent has decreased by over half.

“Both of these improvements will have a significant impact on the successes these young people will experience in the future and that is my aim.”

In the letter sent to parents, Ms Pierson said the school was not prepared to enter students for exams if they had not shown commitment.

However, if a child has missed lessons because of illness, an exception will be made and their parents will not have to pay the charge.

She said: “I am extremely sympathetic to student needs and there are some who have an attendance figure below this 90 per cent mark who will not be asked for a financial contribution.

“However, there is now a small minority of parents who will be approached. I have not received any resistance from parents, I think the approach has been measured.”

In the last report on the school in 2015, Ofsted said it required improvement.