Pupils at Northdown Primary School, Margate, were excited to take part in the school’s first end-of-term attendance fun day.
All classes with attendance of more than 93% as a whole were invited to join in the dancing and party. Those children in classes not participating this time whose personal attendance was over 93% were awarded with certificates and badges.
The aim of the initiative was to improve attendance rates that have been knocked by school closures during the pandemic.
Inclusion Manager Christina Goldsmith said: “Unfortunately, the pandemic has had a massive impact on attendance across the country and many pupils now struggle to attend school. At Northdown, alongside putting in extra support such as our ACE mentors and Thrive Practitioners who support the emotional wellbeing of our pupils, we have looked at different incentives to encourage children to prioritise school.”
Deputy Headteacher, Cara Adelsberg, who leads the school’s drive to improve attendance at the school, explained the idea behind the attendance fun day: “It was about recognising the importance of teamwork and the fact that for your class to get the chance to join the fun day, you all need to be in school on time everyday.”