BITUP: Updating Parents on Number of School Days Missed, a Two-Armed Cluster Randomised Trial. Evaluation Report
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| Title: | BITUP: Updating Parents on Number of School Days Missed, a Two-Armed Cluster Randomised Trial. Evaluation Report |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Natalie Gold, Sarah Bowen, Michael Ratajczak, Shi Zhuo, Olivia Sexton, Penny Stothard, Helen Doran, Louise Skowron, Oriol Bosch, Pieter Cornel, Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) (United Kingdom), Verian |
| Source: | Education Endowment Foundation. 2025. |
| Availability: | Education Endowment Foundation. 9th Floor Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP, UK. Tel: +44-207-802-1676; e-mail: info@eefoundation.org.uk; Web site: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 108 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Attendance, Secondary School Students, Foreign Countries, Parents, Program Effectiveness, Program Implementation, Program Costs, Telecommunications, Synchronous Communication |
| Geographic Terms: | United Kingdom (England) |
| Abstract: | The BITUP intervention aims to reduce pupil absences by sending parents/carers a text message at the start of each term about the number of days their child has been absent in the prior six- to eight-week term. This trial targeted pupils aged 1116 (Years 7-11) in secondary schools in England. If a pupil had attended for <95% of the sessions in a term, then they were eligible for the intervention, which consisted of a text message being sent to their parent/carer at the start of the following term (which aims to leverage a 'fresh start effect'). The hypothesis is that while parents may be aware of individual absences, they underestimate the days their child has been absent. The messages were designed by the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), inspired by academic research conducted in the United States, and were sent to parents/carers by schools. The trial was co-funded by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) in 'A Safe, Positive Place to Learn' funding round. The intervention was a two-arm cluster randomised controlled efficacy trial. The trial used family-level randomisation within schools, meaning siblings attending the same school were allocated to the same trial arm (treatment or control). In each of the first five terms of the 2023-2024 school year, eligibility for receiving text messages was assessed, with text messages being sent to eligible pupils at the beginning of Terms 2-6. A holistic implementation and process evaluation (IPE) accompanied the impact evaluation, including baseline and endline surveys of schools, an endline survey of parents/carers, and interviews with parents/carers, school personnel, pupils, and the delivery team. A total of 108 schools were randomised into the trial, including 87,909 families of 104,029 pupils, of which there were 30,162 pupils who were eligible for free school meals (FSM). Of the pupils randomised 77,540 (74.5%) were White, 9,235 (8.9%) were Asian or Asian British, 5,947 (5.7%) were Black, Black British, Caribbean, or African, 27 (0.3%) were Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller, 6,639 (6.4%), were identified as having mixed or multiple ethnicity, and 2,277 (2.2%) were of other minority ethnicity. During the trial, 71,916 pupils from 63,295 families were eligible for the intervention in at least one term. Eligible pupils in the intervention group were on average absent for 0.21 fewer days in total compared to eligible pupils in the control group. This was an increase in attendance of 15 school days per 100 Years 7-11 pupils for Terms 2-6, or a 0.10% percentage-point increase in the attendance rate. While all schools viewed the intervention as cost-effective, those with limited technological resources found it labour-intensive. There was no evidence to indicate the intervention freed up staff time for other responsibilities or for further attendance support over the trial period. It is possible that over time sending text messages could become quicker and easier as staff become more familiar with the process, although this likely depends on school characteristics, systems, and processes. Parents broadly welcomed the communication of the number of days their child was absent, compared to schools expressing the absence rate as a percentage. Evidence from the IPE suggests that the text message did not on average improve parents'/carers' knowledge of their child's attendance record, as many reported being acutely aware of the importance of attendance. However, the IPE found some evidence that the messages prompted parents/carers to have conversations with their child or with school staff, to keep track of their child's attendance going forward, or to be a bit less lenient when their child asked to stay home. [This project is part of a joint funding round with the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF).] |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED680930 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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