News

Poole Division of Dorset Police and Education Welfare Services (Poole LEA) have this week been working in partnership carrying out a truancy watch initiative throughout the Borough of Poole to coincide with National Truancy Week.

Research has shown that truancy carries costs for both the children involved and for society more widely as truants are more likely to leave school with few or no qualifications and truancy can be associated with crime as a proportion of offences are committed by children in school hours.

Teams of Police Officer and Education Welfare Officers stopped young people in local hotspots, including the Dolphin Centre. Those unaccompanied by parents were taken back to school, and for parents accompanying young people out of school, follow up action will be initiated. A significant number of children spoken to during the patrols were accompanied by their parents.

Paul Taylor, Head of Pupil & Parent Support said, "We want to work with pupils, parents and schools to support attendance but will strongly pursue cases of unauthorised and prolonged absences from school, by prosecutions where appropriate. Parents must be aware they have a legal obligation to send their children to school and those who do not can face fines of up to £2,500 or a custodial sentence"

Sgt Jane Wilson, Poole Division Community Safety Department, said "We have a responsibility to Poole residents to ensure young people are not out and about in the Poole area committing crime or engaging in anti-social behaviour when they should be at school. Children found to be truanting will be returned to school and we welcome this joint initiative."

The message is that whilst truancy does not appear to be a major problem within the Poole area, all agencies would like to see a 100% attendance and this week has served to highlight this issue. Parents and children alike should not become complacent and should be aware that future ad-hoc patrols are planned through the coming academic year.