Thanks to the collaborative efforts of students, parents/carers, and staff, the spring term ended with attendance sitting at 91.3 per cent – 2.8 per cent higher than the national average.

Beci Pindar, Deputy Headteacher, said: “Establishing good attendance habits for all of our students is really important and we work hard to promote the message that attendance matters. Our staff continue to work closely with students who may face barriers to attending school regularly, ensuring they receive the support they need. This is reinforced by communication with parents and carers about their child's attendance.

“We are incredibly proud of our students for their dedication and thank all parents and carers for their ongoing support. We are very aware of how families play a vital role in ensuring good attendance and we value this support. Simple steps that can be taken include encouraging a consistent morning routine to ensure punctuality and scheduling medical appointments outside of school hours whenever possible.”

Students demonstrating excellent or improved attendance continue to be recognised during celebration assemblies and rewarded as part of an attendance incentives programme. Termly competitions work alongside ad-hoc giveaways to maximise impact throughout the academic year - rewarding consistently strong attenders and encouraging improvement in others.

To date, prizes for individual students have ranged from school canteen ‘fast-passes’ to Hull FC tickets and Amazon gift vouchers. A popular end-of-term celebration event rewards top attending tutor groups with an opportunity to enjoy a complimentary breakfast buffet including fruits, pastries and a chocolate fountain.

This year’s attendance incentives programme will culminate in an end of year grand prize draw. Every week that a student achieves 100% attendance, they are issued with a raffle ticket for one entry into the draw. The more weeks they attend in full, the more entries they will have for a chance to win a range of prizes from iPads to AirPods and gaming tech

Harriet Elvidge, attendance officer, said: “To help promote strong attendance, the school’s governing body has allocated funding within a limited rewards budget to help celebrate those who demonstrate excellent or improved attendance. Our data shows a marked improvement thanks to these efforts, with students not only responding well to prize incentives but also recognising the true value and importance of attending school.

“A key element of this work involves nurturing the basic skills and behaviours that will not only serve students well during their time at school, but also in the world of work beyond. The importance of punctuality and attendance in both contexts cannot be underestimated.

“To support these efforts and ensure that we can maintain these impactful incentives, we would welcome involvement from local businesses who may be in a position to contribute towards our rewards programme. Donations of prizes to help incentivise and reward improved attendance would be much appreciated and well-received.”

For further information about rewards and incentives, or to discuss donation options, please contact Mrs H Elvidge on 01964 611523 or email elvidgeh@wscampus.net