Attendance Matters
Here at ESA, we take an innovative, proactive and positive approach to attendance with our students. We love coming to school each day and are keen that our students want to be here too.
Key Stage 4 - context and re-engagement
We understand that many of our students come into our Year 10 with a variety of different backgrounds and may not have had good attendance at previous schools. We are proud of the re-engagement work that we do with these students and our strong pastoral care means that the majority of our students find attendance at this school is a more positive experience than at their previous schools.
Why does it matter?
The cold hard facts. Good attendance has a direct correlation to stronger outcomes. Statistical national data shows that students who did not pass either maths or English at GCSE had an average absence rate of 8.8% at key stage 4 compared to those who passed both subjects at a grade 4 who had an average absence rate of 5.2% and those who gained a grade 5 who had an average absence rate of only 3.7%. It is not only about attainment though. Daily social interaction with peers is essential to wellbeing and being able to access all of the services that school offers in person can contribute positively to all aspects of young people’s development.
Key Stage 5
Attendance at key stage 5 at ESA is excellent. Students tend to love the specialisms that they have chosen and do not want to miss out on available opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom. The same support is available however for students who may have anxieties about attending school at this stage and we intervene quickly and effectively to help them.
The Process
As parents and carers you will be informed half termly about your child’s attendance. In addition to this, if we have attendance concerns you will be notified quickly so that we can work together to rectify this. We have many tools at our disposal and we follow an attendance ladder for both celebration and interventions for attendance. We never want to get to the stage where we approach County to fine but we are also not scared to do this if we have exhausted every other option available to us.
The Team
Diane will be the person who you need to contact daily for absence on attendance@esa.ac She works tirelessly to ensure that we know every day where all of our students are. Diane is your first point of contact for all things attendance and is a great source of information.
Laura Magwood is our Inclusion Specialist and will become involved with our persistent absentees and those at risk of becoming so. Laura has a wealth of knowledge and experience with attendance and will help to target specific interventions to suit individual needs. She is contactable on laura.magwood@esa.ac
