Bexhill High third session

Those who falsely claim their son or daughter is involved in out-of-school activity to avoid staying in school until 5pm will be dealt with accordingly, he said.

He told the Observer there’s been good response from most parents who returned signed forms to verify their child is involved in bonefide activity which warrants missing the last session because they do it elsewhere.

However, he added: “After half term no child will be able to leave the school unless we know exactly where they are going and we can validate it.

“Those parents who haven’t got forms back to us should know their child will not be able to leave school until 5pm.

“I have just sent ten kids back to school who were at the skateboard park and were supposed to be at alternative activities that their parents had signed for.

“That is illegal. Those parents are condoning truancy...their children are out on the street when we think they are at an agreed activity, they are not under the control of their parents.

“A lot of the parents have done exactly what I asked them to do and sent the forms back restating where their child will be, but still other people haven’t, and they run the risk of having their child kept back at school until 5pm, which is the normal day.”