Attendance

Attendance Rules Explanation 2024-25

As part of our attendance strategy, we work closely with data from a range of sources such as the Department for Education (DfE), the Fischer Family Trust (FFT) and our own internal data systems.  Whilst children’s attendance in school is far more important to us than the data itself, data is an invaluable tool when used to inform our actions.  We are pleased to have been recognised by the FFT as having school attendance in the top 25% of schools with a similar catchment nationally.

At North Mead Primary Academy we know that high attendance leads to the best outcomes for our pupils. We are committed to improving attendance as this has a positive impact on children’s attitudes towards learning, on their mental health and on the education they receive.

All of the staff at North Mead are dedicated and committed to providing the support needed to meet every child’s needs in our drive to achieve a whole school target of 96% or more by the end of the school year.

Our attendance policy and strategy form part of our wider Graduate Response.  Safeguarding children is at the heart of our policy, strategy and actions.

Policy and Strategy

Please read our Attendance Strategy for further information.

NORTH MEAD PRIMARY ACADEMY ATTENDANCE STRATEGY V1.2

Please see our Attendance Policy.

TMET North Mead Primary Academy Attendance Policy v2

Did you know?

Seven days off across a school year would mean your child misses out on over 47 hours of schooling.  This would give your child an attendance percentage of 96%.

Our school average attendance was 94.3% last year.  We need to work together to improve this.

Missing the first 10 minutes of school each day is equal to:

1 hour and 10 minutes a week.

Over 44 hours of schooling per year.

It is a national trend that children who have poor school attendance do not achieve as well in school (Primary School and Secondary School) as those with good attendance.

Attendance Commentary

The overall trend in attendance since 2019-20 (the first year of the pandemic) is upward.  The gap between the school’s present overall attendance and the school’s pre-pandemic overall attendance is closing.  The overall attendance for the 2023-24 academic year was higher than the pre-pandemic attendance in the 2018-2019 academic year.

Sources: North Mead Attendance –  School MIS (Bromcom)  /  FFT National Attendance

The school’s PA (Persistent Absentee) percentage trend is downward since 2019-20 (the first year of the pandemic).  The gap between the school’s present PA percentage and the school’s pre-pandemic PA percentage is closing.  The school’s PA percentage reduced by over 10% between the 2021-22 and the 2022-23 academic years.  This was after the introduction of the school’s new attendance strategy.

Sources: North Mead Attendance –  School MIS (Bromcom)

The whole school attendance, and the attendance of key groups was above national average in all measured groups in the 2022-23 academic year.

Sources: 2022-23 –  FFT Aspire 360

The attendance of key groups is currently above national average in all measured groups in the 2023-24 academic year to date with the exception of ‘Boys’.  This data set was influenced by a pupil on an agreed part time timetable.  Attendance of all pupils is tracked weekly in accordance with our attendance strategy.

Sources: 2023-24 –  FFT Aspire 360  /  EHCP** – School MIS (Bromcom) – Figure excludes one part time timetable

The school’s overall attendance for the 2023-24 academic year was above the national and regional Fisher Family Trust (FFT), and national gov.uk averages.

Sources: School (MIS) – School MIS (Bromcom);  School (FFT) & National (FFT) – FFT 360 2023-24;  Regional [East Midlands] (FFT) – FFT Aspire;  National (DFE) – gov.uk

NOTE: FFT statistics for the full academic year   /   DFE statistics to 11/07/24 release   /   School MIS (Bromcom) statistics for the full academic year