TEENAGER Sarah Barnes had 100 reasons to celebrate her last day at school - she was named the winner of Manchester's Be There Bonus.

As final winner of the controversial scheme, 16-year-old Sarah was awarded '100 shopping vouchers for herself and '15 for each of her classmates.

And that, says head Wiktor Daron, made the last day at St Paul's RC High School in Wythenshawe extra special for dozens of youngsters - who will now return to school only to sit their exams.

"We found out about the award the day before the Year 11s left, and it was really nice to present it in their final school assembly," said Mr Daron. "Sarah's form was delighted."

The Be There Bonus was launched by Manchester education chiefs 10 weeks ago, as part of a drive to increase attendance across the city's schools.

For the past 10 weeks six names have been drawn each week. If those "winning" pupils were at school at a time drawn in the second stage of the lottery, they won '100 in shopping vouchers for themselves and '15 for each of their classmates.

Mr Daron says the scheme has raised the profile of school attendance with parents and pupils.

Positive

The school, he says, already runs a number of schemes designed to reward attendance, but he would like the city-wide scheme to continue.

"I know the scheme has had its critics, but anything that improves attendance has to be seen as a positive," he said.

Officials at the city's education department are now evaluating the scheme and considering how it can be developed in future.

A hi-tech system that combats truancy by bombarding parents with text messages and phone calls has been given the thumbs-up by a Salford school.

Staff at Summerville Primary in Irlams o' th' Height are delighted with their new "Truancy Call" technology, which automatically contacts the parents of a missing child if they have not called the school by a certain time. Tweet