A MOTHER is furious she was called to say her son was not in school - only to arrive and find he was in a maths class.

Staff from Canford Heath Middle School in Poole called Sandra Gregory at 11am on Monday to say her 12-year-old son Jake was missing.

As she raced to the school the staff checked and found her son was in a maths class.

Headteacher Philip Harris said the registration procedure at the school would be improved to stop it happening again.

The scare came days after a mother from Bournemouth, Lisa Trunwit, said she was telephoned by King's High School in Bournemouth to say her 13-year-old daughter Georgia had run away from school.

Mrs Trunwit's mother went to the school and Georgia was also found in a maths class.

Mrs Gregory, 38, of Bredy Close, said: "Schools ring up parents and do not check if the children are there.

"They called me to ask why Jake wasn't in school and I said 'What do you mean he isn't in school? He left here at 8am on his bike'.

"I felt sick and shaky. I thought he'd had an accident on his bike or worse."

She was also angry that the school had not called before 11am. Jake went to the toilet when the first register was called and the teacher who took the late register did not see his hand go up.

Mr Harris said: "We have actually been praised by Ofsted inspectors for our having a second register after assembly.

"It is therefore rather ironic that this has happened.

"I do understand why Mrs Gregory was upset and we will now ask children to say they are here rather than just put their hands up."

He said a parent would not normally have been called so late if their child was not in school, but that Mrs Gregory was not phoned until 11am that day because of staff shortages due to illnesses.

First published: February 7