A SCHOOL has achieved its best-ever attendance levels - thanks to a scheme which gives pupils the chance to win electronic gadgets if they turn up for classes.

Pupils at St Peter's RC High School, in Longsight, can win MP3 players, digital cameras, WH Smith vouchers worth '1,500 and a home PC.

Since introducing the "Turn Up, Tune In" scheme last November, headteacher John McNerney says attendance levels have hit a high of 90 per cent.

More than 8 per cent of pupils are still absent, which is higher than the national average of nearly 7 per cent. But St Peter's figures are good for a school with a large numbers of deprived pupils.

Incentives

St Peter's joined forces with Aria Technology to offer the incentives to tackle low attendance, low achievement and low employment among inner city youngsters.

At its introduction, Mr McNerney said he was preparing his pupils, many of whom truant with their parents' consent, for the demands of the workplace. This week he said: "It's now cool to be in school for the overwhelming majority of our pupils.

"Over the last 12 months we have reduced absenteeism by a third. This is a major achievement - especially when truancy remains such a high profile national concern, despite government efforts to reduce it."

Despite the positive effect on results, some believe the scheme sets a bad example to youngsters. Nick Seaton, spokesman for the Campaign for Real Education, said: "I think it is giving young people completely the wrong message. It's suggesting they have to have some kind of expensive, special reward to behave normally.

"I can't see any sensible employer thinking much of a youngster who will only go to work if they are offered a digital camera."

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