SWANMEAD Community School in Ilminster has launched a new text messaging service to help communicate with parents.

The facility will assist with the school’s duty of care and communicate more easily on subjects such as absences, emergency closures and reminders of holidays and events.

The messaging service will hold no other personal data other than the contact number and pupil’s first name.

Since Monday, if a child is not present for registration and the school has no reason for absence, the system will automatically send a text message to the parent.