A secondary school in Manchester is fighting the national post-pandemic attendance crisis with an unconventional strategy: rewarding pupils who turn up with televisions, bicycles and high-value shopping vouchers.
The Prize Draw Solution to Persistent Absence
Co-op Academy Belle Vue has introduced a merit-point system where students with good attendance, behaviour, and character can exchange points for tickets in regular prize draws. The initiative, launched by Principal Scott Fletcher after he took the role in 2022, allows pupils to win items ranging from designer bikes and footballs to chocolate and stationery.
For those with exemplary records, the school runs a special "golden ticket" raffle for even more significant rewards. These have included £100 Tesco vouchers, JD Sports gift cards, and 40-inch televisions. In one recent draw, over £2,000 worth of prizes were distributed. Mr Fletcher revealed the school once gave away ten televisions in just ten days to recognise good behaviour.
Does the Rewards Scheme Actually Work?
According to the school's data, the answer is a resounding yes. Mr Fletcher reports that the initiative has helped slash the school's persistent absence rate from 20% to 10.5% over the past two years. A pupil is deemed persistently absent if they miss a day of school each fortnight.
This improvement is particularly notable given the school's context. Government figures show nearly 58% of pupils at Co-op Academy Belle Vue are eligible for free school meals, a rate well above the national average of almost 26%.
"Whether we like to provide these incentives or not, the harsh reality is that these children don't have them," Mr Fletcher explained. "At Belle Vue we see, year after year, that strong attendance leads to stronger outcomes. It is one of the most powerful predictors of long-term achievement."
A National Scandal of School Absence
The Manchester school's innovative approach comes against a bleak national backdrop. The number of children missing more than 10% of school has nearly doubled since the pandemic. Ofsted has sounded the alarm over a surge in severe absence, where pupils miss more than half the school year.
Around 166,000 children in England – approximately 2.3% of all pupils – are now spending more time out of school than in the classroom. This marks a worrying rise from 0.8% in the year before Covid-19. Sir Martyn Oliver, Ofsted's chief inspector, recently labelled the situation a "scandal of attendance".
In response, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has announced a new national roadmap. Every school will now be issued with AI-powered minimum attendance improvement targets, known as the Attendance Baseline Improvement Expectation (ABIE). These targets will be tailored to each school's circumstances, including location and pupil deprivation.
Ms Phillipson stated: "We can only deliver opportunity for children in our country if they’re in school, achieving and thriving." However, teaching unions have expressed concern that the new targets could add pressure to already struggling schools.
All prizes for Co-op Academy Belle Vue's scheme, which also include tablet computers and toys, are funded directly from the school's own budget. The programme demonstrates a tangible, if unconventional, attempt to tackle one of education's most pressing challenges head-on.
