#OperationFriday in full force to boost attendance at Kenton School
Earaches, soar throats and even reactions to grass being cut in their garden are just some of the excuses Kenton School staff hear most Fridays, when attendance generally drops by approximately 2% compared to other days of the school week.
Kenton school has now launched #OperationFriday in a bid to overcome this trend, teaming up with Newcastle City Council and the Newcastle Falcons.
Pupils absent on Fridays receive postcards with information on absence rates at the end of the school week, as well as a message which states that the staff have missed seeing them in school that day.
Plasma screens across the entire school also promote good attendance at the end of every block, while Attendance Officers are out in the community in the school cars, calling at as many Friday absentees as possible. In the case of a pattern to Friday absence emerging, parents are offered a Parenting Contract and are invited to discuss with staff the rationale for absenteeism.
According to statistics released by the Department for Education, illness remains the most common reason for absence, accounting for 64.2% of all absences.
Recognising that there may be times pupils do fall ill, the school has set a target of 97% rate of attendance. Rewards also await those who are in school on Fridays: raffle prizes, NUFC tickets, “Lucky Dip” prizes and chocolate bars. Pupils with impeccable attendance were rewarded with an iPad each.
Ross Scherer, Assistant Principal at Kenton, told SCHOOLS NorthEast: “Kenton School believes that attendance is incredibly important to academic success as research suggests that, on average, if they are absent for 17 days or more in one year, pupils’ progress could drop by 1 GCSE grade.
“Kenton rewards pupils for being at school, as last year 240 pupils achieved 100% attendance for the whole year and every pupil was rewarded for it.”
The operation was launched on Friday with the help of former Newcastle Falcons star Andy Buist who had an important message for pupils: “Whatever future career you choose, studying hard now makes a big difference to your future. Don’t lose out on the opportunity.”
Further reading:
Kenton School and council bosses bid to crack down on truancy in Newcastle schools (ChronicleLive)
Pupil absence in schools in England (DfE data)