A secondary school in Boston, Lincolnshire, is offering pupils the chance to win a 40-inch smart television as part of a campaign to improve attendance.
Students at Haven High Academy who achieve 100 percent attendance in any two-week period are entered into a draw for a Hye Tizen TV, the school said on its Facebook page, adding that a winner will be picked every two weeks. The post said: "Get 100% attendance in any two weeks and be in the draw for a TV. Moments matter, attendance matters. Be a hero and win a 40-inch smart TV every two weeks." The school also encouraged pupils to be a "Haven HERO — Here, Everyday, Ready, On Time."
The Hye Tizen sets cited by the school are described in the post as higher-definition models retailing at about £149.99 and featuring a built-in gaming hub. Headteacher Austin Sheppard defended the initiative, saying that raising attendance is a "massive priority for all schools" and that the academy had improved its attendance by just over three percent in the previous academic year.
Sheppard said the school, which serves an area with high levels of social deprivation, was aiming to increase attendance again this year and that rewards had been one way to incentivise good behaviour and better academic outcomes. Haven High Academy was placed in special measures after receiving an "inadequate" rating from Ofsted last year; a Department for Education notice at the time said "too many pupils are absent too often."
The initiative comes as national officials and ministers have urged greater parental engagement to tackle absenteeism. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, marking the start of the new term, called on "mums, dads and carers" to play a role in getting children ready for school. The Department for Education said the government recorded five million more pupil days in the classroom and 140,000 fewer persistently absent pupils in the most recent year, describing it as the largest year-on-year improvement in attendance in a decade and estimating the change would protect over £2 billion in future pupil earnings.
The school's fortnightly prize draw is one of a growing number of local and national efforts to reverse attendance declines that authorities say harm learning. The Daily Mail reported the story and said it had approached Haven High Academy for comment.