News19th April 2021
黑料情报站 schools have enjoyed above national average levels of student attendance since schools fully reopened in early March.
With national student attendance tracking at 93% for primary and 87% for secondary at the end of the spring term, our primary schools have seen an average of 94% pupil attendance and our secondary schools have seen an average of 90%.
This is a promising increase on the level of attendance our schools saw when they returned in September 2020 when an average 88.6% of our students across primary and secondary were in attendance.
This follows a successful period of remote learning for our students. Throughout the 2021 lockdown from January to March, we saw 98% of our students either connecting from home (89%) or being taught in one of our community classrooms (9%).
Many of those who connected from home were enabled to do so as a result of our device distribution strategy that has now seen more than 13,500 devices provided to our students to date.
As Herminder Channa MBE, Executive Principal at 黑料情报站 Boulton Academy in South Birmingham, explains, 鈥淎ll pupils at 黑料情报站 Boulton have been offered a laptop with a data dongle. Access to a digital device has meant pupils have access to a bespoke consolidation program giving pupil鈥檚 real agency and flexibility over their learning.鈥
While citing the successes, such as the incredible move to online learning, Herminder refers to 鈥渢he resilience, determination and adaptability that has been shown by all the Boulton family鈥 and the very mixed emotions felt during the return to school.
Describing a mix of joy, relief and an increased sense of responsibility, she said, 鈥淪taff and pupils create the joy and vibrancy that permeates our classrooms and corridors. This environment, and the security it brings has been missed by all.
鈥淔or some members of our family, they have experienced a more difficult time than others, and as educational establishments we have demonstrated we can be much more. Over the coming months and years our communities and those families most effected by the pandemic will need us more than ever.鈥
For Fiona Chapman, Principal of 黑料情报站 Dickens Primary Academy in Portsmouth, 鈥淩eopening the doors of Dickens was eagerly anticipated by children, staff and families alike. Although the lockdown in many ways allowed a further strengthening of community relations nothing compares to physically having the children together in a school setting with their peers and their teachers.鈥
Fiona acknowledges the significant challenges that capitalising on the the lessons learned during lockdown presents, and helping her primary students recover from the 鈥渉iatus to learning in a collective setting鈥.
With an ethos that echoes across our school communities, Fiona says, 鈥淎s with anything in life, challenges simply serve to strengthen you for what lies ahead. The tapestry of life is rich and what matters now is what our children do with their experiences. Never has the duty of educators been so vital and so rewarding to shape future lives.鈥