Why 95%+ Attendance Matters at AVA
At Axe Valley Academy, we set a minimum attendance target of 95% for all students across the academic year.
The Power of Being Present:
• No Gaps: Consistently attending ensures students do not miss vital classroom teaching. Missing even a small amount of time can create learning gaps that are difficult to close.
• Full Opportunities: Excellent attendance means students can access the full range of clubs, trips, and
exciting rewards we offer, enriching their school experience.
• Positive Connections: Being in school every day helps students build strong peer relationships and feel a vital sense of belonging within their community, which boosts happiness and engagement.
We are partnering with you to achieve 95% or higher attendance. Let's make every day count!
Family Reflection: Do you agree or disagree?
When considering the working world and careers, do you agree or disagree that persistent lateness is more than just a scheduling issue? From a workplace perspective, it reflects an employee’s lack of 'buy-in' and poses the question: if someone cannot manage their own time, can they be trusted to manage the company's mission?
In the working world, an employee who is frequently late is often seen as someone who values their own time over the team's goals. Reflecting on this, do we agree that school attendance and punctuality is the first 'job' where this reputation is built? If a student struggles to manage their time now, does it suggest they will struggle to manage professional responsibilities later?
Attendance Celebrations
We are delighted to celebrate the dedication of our families. In Spring Term 1, 330 students achieved 100% perfect attendance! This is a brilliant display of commitment and resilience.
This achievement is a direct result of your constant support at home. We truly appreciate the partnership we have with our families, you are the reason our students are staying on track.
The February Challenge: 700+
As we move into Spring term 2, we have a unique opportunity because following the half-term break, there are only 29 school days until Easter.
With a shorter window of time, our goal is even more ambitious, we want to see over 700 students achieve 100% attendance! As those chilly winter mornings and dark evenings disappear, we are confident that, together, we can reach this milestone.
Thank you for your continued dedication to your child’s education and for helping us start the year so strongly.
The educational cost of lateness
Students should arrive to school before 8.50am
Punctuality to school is a vital component of academic success, as the first few minutes of a lesson often dictate a student’s progress for the lesson and sometimes the rest of the day. When a student arrives late, they miss “retrieval practice” tasks, important instructions and essential support that anchors their learning. Effectively, when late, students are trying to finish a puzzle while missing essential pieces. This does not just affect the individual, it creates a “ripple effect” where the teacher must pause and the entire class loses focus, stealing valuable learning time from everyone. To put the impact in perspective, arriving just 5 minutes late every day results in missing 3 whole days of school by the end of the academic year. This is a gap that becomes increasingly difficult to close as the curriculum progresses.
Our policy for lateness
Students should arrive into school no later than 8.45am. At 8.50am the gates will close, meaning that anyone who arrives after that will be deemed late to school.
Students who are late to school will have their names recorded by a member of staff on duty. As a consequence if students are late twice in a week they will be issued a Year Leader lunchtime detention.
If the problem persist, we will require parents/families to attend a meeting to resolve the issue.
10 or more incidents of persistent lateness to school (after registration has closed) within a five week period, can result in a fixed penalty notice fine.
DFE Guidance
As part of this statutory guidance, the Government has introduced a new National Framework for Penalty Notice Fines. The threshold is 10 sessions (5 School Days) of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks. This can be met with any combi nation of unauthorised absence (e.g. 4 sessions of holiday taken in term time plus 6 sessions of arriving late after the register closes all within 10 school weeks). These sessions can be consecutive (e.g. 10 sessions of holiday in one week which equates to 5 school days) or not (e.g. 6 sessions of unauthorised absence taken in 1 week and 1 per week for the next 4 weeks). Here is an overview of the Government's new framework for fines:
• First Penalty Notice: The first penalty notice issued to a parent in respect of a particular student will be charged at £160 if paid within 28 days. This will be reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days.
• Second Penalty Notice: A second penalty notice issued to the same parent in respect of the same student is charged at a flat rate of £160 if paid within 28 days.
• The third time an offence is committed for Term Time Leave or Irregular Attendance a Penalty Notice will not be issued, and the case will be presented to the Magistrates’ Court. Magistrates’ fines can be up to £2500 per parent, per child.
Building habits for life
Beyond the classroom, we view punctuality as an important life lesson that prepares our students for the demands of the professional world, where reliability is a non negotiable trait. We understand that morning routines can sometimes be a struggle and our goal is to support our families rather than just enforce rules. If there are specific challenges preventing your child from arriving on time, whether related to transport or routine, please reach out to their tutor so we can work together on a solution. By ensuring our students are in school and by 8:50 am, we are giving them the best possible start to their education and their future.
Need attendance advice or have feedback
Your child’s attendance is a partnership and we are here to help! If you have any concerns regarding your child's attendance, feel your family would benefit from additional support or if you simply want to provide general feedback on attendance matters, please don't hesitate to contact us. We are ready to listen and work together.
attendance@axevalley.bep.ac
Strategies to ensure excellent punctuality
Consider trying the following…
Top Tips
Rethink the meaning of “on time”
Students who are always on time are really people who arrive early. They acknowledge that things can go wrong to set them back several minutes. When things do “go wrong” these students will still arrive on time!
Give yourself enough time
You can do this with a simple exercise: Get up early one morning and time yourself (moving at normal pace) to see how long it takes you to get ready. You may be surprised at the time it takes, especially if you find out you have been trying to squeeze 40 minutes worth of grooming into 15 minutes each morning.
Be aware of bus issues
Be mindful of the bus timetable and the fact that buses can arrive late. Plan your journey with this in mind.
Do the shop run the day before
Ensure you have been to the shops the day before to get your snacks, drinks or lunch. This will prevent the morning rush to the shop that can and does cause lateness.
