A city school is offering pupils films and pizza in an effort to cut truancy levels.

St Anselm’s in Old Dover Road has launched a rewards system as it bids to get more youngsters into class.

The school is only 1% below the government’s target of 95% attendance, but insists it wants to improve.

Teacher Mal Graves, who is responsible for behaviour and attendance, said: “Someone who misses half-a-day a week ends up missing nearly a year’s worth of lessons over five years – and that has a big effect on education.

“We try to impress upon the pupils the importance of turning up to school – after all, you can’t learn if you’re not here.

“St Anselm’s is a good school, but we are not prepared to rest on our laurels. What we want to do is get better.”

Any pupil whose attendance is 90% or below is regarded as a persistent absence.

In an effort to improve attendance, the best performing class is being rewarded with an afternoon watching a film and enjoying pizza.

The school has also chosen 12 pupils to work with mentors from the business world. They will come in once a term to work with three pupils each.

Mr Graves went on: “The mentors will discuss the pupils’ aspirations and approach their time at school from a different angle than that offered by education professionals.

“We think this is a fantastic opportunity for the 12 pupils. As a school we believe they would benefit from this additional support to help engage students in attending consistently.

“The mentors will highlight how good school attendance is imperative with regards to references and how it is considered during an interview processes.”

The four mentors working with the St Anselm’s children are David Finch, of the Matt Fiddes Martial Arts School, Duncan MacKinnon, of WH Breading and Son Estate and Letting Agents, Tim Mitford-Slade, of estate agent Strutt and Parker, and Asa Finnigan, of building supplier Travis Perkins.

"As a school we believe they would benefit from this additional support to help engage students in attending consistently..." Mal Graves

Kent County Council’s overall attendance rate for its primary schools is 96% and 94.8% for secondary schools. Since September it has prosecuted 426 cases of non-attendance.

Spokesman Ella Watkins said: “These are prosecutions are against parents for children’s unauthorised absences when the level of absence from school had become very serious and other actions have failed to improve the situation.

“We take robust action to ensure all children have good attendance at school as this is essential for good progress in learning.”