Attendance at the ContinU Plus Academy
Here at The ContinU Plus Academy we successfully monitor and improve attendance rates through engaging pupils. This is done through personalised interventions along with building close and supportive relationships with parents/carers. The CPA considers each one of its student’s needs, and in doing so is able to reintegrate, engage and support a pupil back into a learning environment.
We endeavour to build strong relationships and communication with both students and parents/carers to encourage regular attendance. This is achieved through home visits and regular meetings with parents and carers. These steps ensure that there is support for the welfare and emotional well-being of the students and their families here at the ContinU Plus Academy.
The national average for alternative provision attendance is currently 67%. The Current target for attendance at the ContinU Plus Academy is 85%. As of 2021 the CPA recorded 80% attendance, exceeding the national average of 67%.
How attendance is maintained
The ContinU Plus Academy monitors attendance on a weekly basis. There is the expectation that each pupil maintains an average of 90%+ attendance throughout the week. When a pupil’s attendance falls below 90%, or is a cause for concern, there are procedural processes which are implemented to ensure that this does not continue. These include: talking to parents/carers about the concern, following up these conversations with a letter confirming what was said, home visits, monitoring meetings which allow personalised action plans to be drawn, tailored to each individual and their needs or circumstances. These meetings, alongside home visits, provide a valuable link to the provision of welfare at the ContinU Plus Academy.
Our Attendance Welfare Officer, Mrs Jenny Lockyer, closely monitors and liaises with families and carers if a student’s attendance drops falls below 90% or is a cause for concern. Although the legal responsibility for regular attendance at school rests with the parents/carers, we see the encouragement of good attendance in our students as a partnership with families, designed to support the development of each individual student’s potential to the full.
How the CPA supports and rewards attendance
Students with excellent attendance, are rewarded with a trip at the end of each half term. An Attendance Prize Draw takes place each term to celebrate and reward excellent attendance. This reward system is just one of the many ways that the ContinU Plus Academy supports and maintains a high attendance average.
Other ways in which we support attendance include:
- A clear definition of expectations of students and parents/carers at interview.
- Tracking and monitoring attendance
- Liaising with referring agencies, including the local authority.
- Transporting our pupils for free using our own minibuses.