Teachers have never really needed to call out Simon Smith's name for register at school, writes David Horne.

The 15-year-old hasn't missed a day during his five years at secondary school.

And he reckons that even at primary school he was always there - a record of attendance that teachers believe should earn him a place in the Guinness Book of Records!

The teenager, however, has permission for his first ever day off on Monday - for study leave in the run-up to GCSE exams. Simon, of Carterton Community College, said modestly: "I can't remember being ill and not having any reason for not being here.

"School's all right. I enjoy it. But I'm looking forward now to going to college in Oxford."

Staff at the Upavon Way comprehensive calculate that Simon, of Hayward Drive, Carterton, has completed an uninterrupted 910 days over the past five years. Come rain or shine, heatwave or blizzard, he's always been there. On Friday he was presented with a special certificate by headteacher Alan Klee who said it was "an absolutely brilliant achievement".

Simon's form tutor during his five years at the school has been Geraldine Harrison.

She said: "I thought I'd done well, only missing four days during that time. "In my 24 years of teaching I've known a few pupils who've gone a whole year without being absent, but Simon's unique.

"We put it down to his coat. He always wears the same jacket to school!"

Simon now plans to go on to Oxford College of Further Education to do an advanced GNVQ in IT from September.

Story date: Monday 17 May

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.