Dear Parents and Carers,
Re: Importance of Full Attendance through to Thursday 28th March 2024
As I write to you today, with only five school days left of the Spring Term, I would like to ask for your support to ensure the full attendance of your child at school until the very end of this term, which finishes at 3.05pm on Thursday 28 March.
As you may be aware, since the Covid-19 pandemic, the UK Government and Department for Education (DfE) have made attendance at school one of their highest priorities to improve, given the clear correlation between high attendance and high achievement and outcomes.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and contribution towards the excellent attendance of the vast majority of our students over the Spring Term to date. As a result of our school community’s continued support with attendance – our whole school attendance at Workington Academy remains currently above the national average, which is a great achievement. You may have seen recently that we also recently achieved two national awards for our attendance across the Autumn Term;
- Attendance in the Top 10% of Similar Schools Nationally
- Attendance in the Top 25% of all Secondary Schools in England
Here at Workington Academy, we take great pride in ensuring the high attendance of our students, to ensure that they have the opportunity to achieve the very best outcomes. Our well-planned and highly effective curriculum ensures that every lesson adds value and therefore missing just one lesson can have a detrimental impact on your child’s progress. Every day of absence, including the last day before a school holiday equates to 5 hours of valuable learning missed.
We are aware that at this time of year, there are still some illnesses around, meaning that some students may not be feeling 100%. However, we do ask that unless they are really too ill to come to school or told specifically by a Doctor or Medical Professional not to attend, that attendance at school is prioritised. Our staff here at the academy will always take care of your child in school and can make adjustments for them, if they are not feeling 100%.
On Thursday 28th March, we will also be celebrating the achievements of all students throughout the Spring Term, with a range of certificates and prizes awarded in recognition of their successes in an array of areas throughout this term. These are fantastic occasions and a chance for your child and yourselves to be proud of their achievements and we would like all of our students to experience this.
Our usual attendance, contact and home visit procedures will continue to be applied throughout this period.
Thank you for your support.
Yours faithfully,
Mr Mark Bedford
Headteacher
