School in Ashington 'delighted' to become attendance hub that will help others to reduce pupil absences

The school will become an ‘attendance hub’ under the expansion of a Department for Education project, making it one of 32 schools nationally to be part of the scheme.

The secondary academy will now share expertise, successful strategies, and resources with other schools that require support to improve attendance.

Debra Hudson, headteacher at Ashington Academy, said: “Becoming an attendance hub is a fantastic honour for Ashington Academy and we are delighted to be leading this exciting and important piece of work.

“Attending school is something most people assume is the norm but sadly this is not always the case, with many children persistently absent when they should and could be in class with their peers.

“We have worked closely with families for several years to improve the situation here in Ashington and, by sharing what we have learned, we can now give even more children a better chance at success by getting them back into school.”

Ashington Academy, which is part of the North East Learning Trust, was chosen as a hub due to its track record of good attendance and effective work to fix instances of poor attendance.

Lesley Powell, CEO of the trust, said: “The Ashington attendance hub is a real feather in the cap for both the school and the wider trust family.

“Sharing expertise from thriving schools is increasingly acknowledged as the best way to boost wider school improvement across the whole country, and I am delighted that Ashington Academy's expertise in this area has been formally recognised.

“Not only will all schools in our trust benefit but, starting now, Ashington will be sharing strategies that make a big difference for children in other schools across the region and beyond."

A national campaign on the importance of attendance has also been launched, targeting parents and carers, and the government has also committed to legislation that will require schools to share their daily registers.

Absences have increased notably since the pandemic with 21.2% of pupils in England persistently absent, meaning they missed more than 10% of school sessions, in the autumn and spring term of 2022/23.

This absence rate was only 10.5% in autumn and spring of 2018/19.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “The benefits of our success in raising education standards can only be when all children are in school.

“Tackling attendance is my number one priority. We want all our children to have the best start in life because we know that attending school is vital to a child’s well-being, development, and attainment.”

Children’s Commissioner Rachel De Souza added: “I have made school attendance one of my top priorities because children tell me how much they value their education and want to be in school.

“Every day counts. When children miss school it is not just about missing lessons, it is also about losing valuable moments spent with their friends and teachers.

“I am hopeful that these measures will arm local authorities and schools with real-time information about school absence rates and provide vital support for children who face barriers to attending school.”