Kenton School recognised among England’s most improved schools for attendance
Kenton School has been recognised among the top 10% of schools nationally for attendance improvement, with its approach highlighting why helping pupils feel they belong is just as important as following up on absence.
The FFT award recognises the school’s progress in improving attendance. Alongside tracking absence and working closely with families, Kenton places a strong emphasis on understanding why pupils struggle to attend and what might help them return.
That message was at the heart of a recent roundtable hosted by Mission 44 alongside the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, where the school contributed to discussions about creating a more inclusive education system.
The discussion reinforced a principle central to Kenton’s approach: “You can enforce attendance. You cannot enforce belonging.”
Understanding the reasons behind absence
There are many reasons why a pupil might stop attending school regularly. Anxiety, difficulties with learning, bullying or challenges at home can all affect attendance. For some young people, the issue is also whether they feel connected to school and believe it has something to offer them.
Kenton’s approach starts with following up absence quickly and finding out what support is needed. Its dedicated attendance team works alongside Family Support Workers, who support children and families experiencing severe absence, including emotionally based school non-attendance.
Year Leaders, senior leaders and pastoral teams also play a part. Every absent pupil receives a call that day, and the school works with external organisations when families need additional support.
But responsibility for attendance does not stop with those teams. Kenton sees it as something every member of staff has a role in, just as they do with safeguarding and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
A conversation with a teacher, encouragement from a trusted member of staff or simply knowing someone will notice if they are missing can make a difference to how a young person feels about coming to school.
Making pupils feel they belong
Kenton’s motto, All different, all equal, reflects its commitment to making sure every pupil feels known, valued and supported.
That means giving pupils opportunities to build friendships, discover their interests and take part in activities they enjoy. Through Kenton CORE, its Elective Curriculum, pupils can participate in extracurricular activities during the school day. The school also offers personalised provision for children whose needs are not fully met by a conventional school environment.
The approach is about recognising that pupils have different needs and finding ways to help them engage with school.
There is evidence of progress, too. Over the past three years, attendance among disadvantaged pupils has improved by eight percentage points. These pupils are also achieving significantly better outcomes than disadvantaged pupils nationally in overall attainment and in English and maths.
Kenton also celebrates good attendance through certificates, badges and half-termly and termly celebrations. Its message, “Miss school, miss out”, is one that pupils recognise and use themselves.
However, the school recognises that rewards alone will not persuade a pupil who feels deeply disengaged to return. The bigger task is creating a place where young people feel safe, have relationships they value and can see a reason to be there.
Looking beyond the attendance register
The roundtable with Mission 44 brought these issues into a wider conversation about opportunity and inclusion. A young person’s background or where they grow up should not determine what they can achieve.
Schools, parents and pupils all have a part to play in improving attendance. But Kenton’s experience also highlights the need to look at what sits behind absence, rather than focusing on attendance figures alone.
For the school, that means continuing to ask what is preventing a pupil from attending and what can be done to help.
As well as asking why a child is not coming to school, there is another question worth considering: what can we do to make them want to come back tomorrow?
Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East, said: “Being recognised among the top 10% of schools nationally for attendance improvement is a significant achievement. Kenton School’s work in a highly deprived area of our region highlights the importance of looking beyond the attendance figures to understand what helps young people engage with education. When pupils feel supported and know they belong, schools are in a stronger position to help them attend regularly and achieve their potential.”