Archive Website of the UK government

Text version

First teen: "When you’re younger it's very scary to not go into school. You know if your mum ever found out that would be it - you’d be very scared. As you get older your mum's not scary anymore."

Second teen: "I was scared of the SATs, I was quite nervous - so that's why I had to pull a sickie."

Third teen: "I was really not happy with school. I was not happy with the friends I was with. I had a reputation and I got very depressed because I couldn't lose it. So I truanted."

Kenny Frederick, headteacher: "The main reasons for truancy could be all sorts. It might be they don't like a particular lesson. It might be they haven't brought their kit or their equipment and they know they're going to get into trouble. It might be that they've heard that there’s a supply teacher and they think they won't be noticed. It might be somebody in their class they don't get on with. It could be all sorts of reasons."

Third teen: "I used to walk in the back gate when my mum dropped me off, give it ten minutes and then walk out the front door and go back to my house because I left my bedroom window open. So it was getting bad."

Truancy is now called 'unauthorised absence'

Kenny Frederick: "If you get a phone call form the school to say that your child has truanting, don't panic.

“The first thing you do is to talk to your teenager - which, let's face it, is very hard to do because some teenagers are uncommunicative and they won't say anything. And sometimes they might make an excuse that actually isn't the truth. Well, of course have the dialogue, try to find out what is going on and say 'Right, we're going to go in, we’re going to face your teachers and we're going to make sure this doesn't happen again.'"

Fourth teen: "My mum thought if I do get rude to her then she's going to react to it. So then my mum thought she'll keep it on the level and just talk to me, and try to explain to me."

Third teen: "Always be in contact with the school. Like my mum always used to ring up and ask how I was doing. To be active in their school career is so important so you know what they're up to."

It's your legal responsibility to make sure your child is in school

Kenny Frederick: "Parents often imagine that because their child doesn't go out in the street and doesn't get involved in crime, that actually it doesn't matter because they're in their own home, they're not at school and the parent knows where they are.

"It does matter. It's still illegal, and the child isn't being educated there. If we allow children to stay at home because they don’t feel like coming to the school, they'd rather sit and watch television all day or you want to them to look after the children, you want to take them shopping - parents are technically breaking the law. It's actually doing the child a lot of harm. It's regarded as truancy; it's down on their record as truancy."

Help them to understand that truanting will effect their education

Third teen: "My mum was like, 'This is your problem now, this is your exams'. And so that's when I made the decision - I've done it before I can do it again and I thought I'd stop, so that's what happened. In the end I did do it by myself but I don't think I would have done that if it wasn't for my mum helping me."

Don't be afraid of being firm

Kenny Frederick: "Parents need to understand that their children are not going to hate them - they may occasionally say they hate them, because that's what teenagers do - but actually they really appreciate the fact that their parents are being consistent, they're setting boundaries, they’re setting standards.

"It's the youngsters who have no boundaries, the parents who are trying to keep them happy all the time by letting them have their own way, that really are the ones that suffer."

Fourth teen: "I realised I shouldn't do it again because at the end of the day, when I do have my exams and everything, I'm going to be the one who's missed out on most of my subjects - I won't know what to do, I'm going to be the one that's stressed."

Useful tips:

• don't get angry if your teen is playing truant
• talk to your teen about why they aren't going to school
• talk to the school

More on Cross & Stitch

• School attendance, absence and your child (parents section)