Text reminders to parents on pupil absences show only small impact

A national trial of text message reminders for parents about their child’s school absences found only a small reduction in missed days, according to an evaluation funded by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF).

The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) developed the BITUP intervention, which targeted pupils in Years 7 to 11 during the 2023–24 school year. Under the scheme, schools sent parents and carers a personalised message at the start of each half-term setting out the number of days their child had missed in the previous half-term, rather than reporting attendance as a percentage. The approach was intended to draw on the “fresh start effect”, which research suggests can help families form new habits.

BITUP was tested through a two-arm randomised controlled trial across 105 state-maintained secondary schools in England, covering 87,909 families and more than 104,000 pupils. Any pupil whose attendance fell below 95% in a half-term was eligible for the intervention, with staff advised not to send messages in cases such as bereavement or long-term illness.

Pupils in the intervention group were absent on average for 0.21 fewer days across the academic year than those in the control group – equivalent to a 0.1 percentage point improvement in attendance across half-terms two to six. The trial found slightly larger effects among pupils eligible for free school meals, female pupils and Year 8, though these subgroup results were less secure due to smaller numbers.

Researchers reported no clear evidence that the messages changed parents’ understanding of attendance or their attitudes towards its importance. However, some parents surveyed said they had spoken to their child, contacted the school or monitored attendance more closely after receiving the texts.

The evaluation concluded that while the reductions in absence were too small to meaningfully shift attendance rates, the low cost of the programme meant some schools may still find value in adopting elements of the approach. The average cost was £381.81 per school, or £1.11 per pupil per year, with costs projected to fall to 29p per pupil if schools deliver the scheme without BIT’s support.

Schools interviewed as part of the study generally described BITUP as a simple and low-cost addition to their attendance strategies, although the ease of implementation varied depending on existing data and messaging systems. Some schools said they planned to continue the intervention with adaptations, such as targeting families whose attendance had just dropped below 95%.

EEF said the trial adds to evidence from earlier UK and US research suggesting that parental communication about absences can be effective, but that text messages alone may not be enough. Larger impacts have been seen when letters are used or when updates are combined with practical advice for families.