19 December 2011

Dear Parents/Carers

I am writing to you inform you of some significant changes to the Academy’s practices to encourage and support excellent attendance.

It is our expectation that pupils should maintain at least 96% attendance wherever possible, in order to give them the best chance of achieving in line with their potential. This equates to no more than 7 days taken as absence over the course of a school year. The Department for Education reports that the achievement of pupils with over 10% absence can be affected drastically: of pupils who miss between 10% and 20% of school, only 35% manage to achieve five A* to C grades including Maths and English. The Department for Education now class pupils with attendance under 85% as persistent absentees. Clearly, it is our aim that none of our pupils reach this stage.

The Academy does offer significant incentives to pupils and their families to encourage excellent attendance. The Governors are keen that attendance across the Academy is outstanding; to this end they are funding a series of rewards for exemplary attendance. In the Secondary department there is a draw every two weeks for a cash prize of £25 per year group. All those who have 100% attendance and punctuality will go into a year group draw and the winners will be announced in the following week’s House Assemblies. There will also be a single half-termly prize of a £500 store voucher (stores include Halfords, Argos, PC World and Academy Trips) for those with 100% attendance each half term. The winners will be announced on the Academy Website and on the video screens in the Academy. There will be one final £500 draw for all those with 100% attendance over the year.

Clearly, it is also of paramount importance that the Academy monitors and supports pupils with poor attendance effectively so that they may improve. In the first instance, key Academy staff alert parents if it becomes clear that a pupil’s attendance is of concern. Our Attendance Officer, Ms Eley, will contact parents in the first instance where attendance dips below 95% and is therefore of slight concern. Should attendance fall significantly further, the pupil’s Pastoral Manager will make contact with a view to seeing if further support is needed in order to improve.

In the case of persistent absenteeism, the Academy has a responsibility to work in partnership with Cambridge Education @ Islington in order to solve issues effectively. To this end, Education Welfare Services will be working at the Academy with us. Should a pupil become classed as a persistent absentee, his/her parents will be invited to the Academy to attend a School Attendance Panel (SAP). The purpose of a SAP is to discuss further support where necessary and to work formally in partnership with Education Welfare Services. Education Welfare Services may decide to take statutory action such as issuing a penalty notice to parents or undertaking court action.

Many thanks for your ongoing support in this matter.

Yours faithfully

Ray Boxall
Assistant Director of Learning: Pastoral