School accused of ‘snooping’ on family homes to crack down on pupil absences

Union criticises Doncaster academy for sending staff to homes to track movements of bins and cars

A secondary school in South Yorkshire has been accused of snooping by monitoring families’ bins, cars and post in an attempt to crack down on pupil absences.

Staff at Astrea Academy Woodfields in Balby, Doncaster, have been visiting the homes of absent pupils to check bins are being put out, cars are on driveways, or if steam is being released from the boiler flue.