Attendance continues to be our key area of focus and is at the forefront of many of our learners minds as well. Having undertaken some learner voice in school around attendance and reasons for absences, we were surprised by at least one of the comments made. Learners who have good attendance (above 98%) commented that they were frustrated at times in lessons where teachers are having to spend time explaining items that others had missed because they had been absent. We know that attendance below 95% means that learners are twice as likely not to achieve a grade 5 in their core subjects of Maths and English. These comments highlight the negative impact on others of poor attendance. Please support us and your daughter by encouraging attendance to school every day.
The points below summarise the information shared with learners this week.
Gary Kibble
Key Dates and Attendance Boosts
- Boost Week (March 23 – 27): To encourage high attendance, learners who attend school for all five days this week will receive double attendance activity points.
- Big Day Out: Points earned during boost weeks help learners qualify for the "Big Day Out" visit.
Rewards and Achievements
- Reading Awards: learners displaying excellent effort in reading or vocabulary can earn "Reading Awards". Five winners are selected weekly from Years 7–11 to choose a book from the school’s vending machine.
- Positive Points: Each year group tracks "Community Positives" awarded for character, creativity, community, connection, and collaboration. The top five learners in each category are entered into a prize draw at the end of each term.
- Year 8 Challenge: Any Year 8 learner who receives 50 or more positive points in a single week will receive a special prize.
Support and Environment
- Sustainable Schools: This week is "Switch Off Week," where learners are encouraged to save energy by switching off lights and appliances when not in use, both at school and at home.
- Safeguarding: A reminder for all learners to be kind to themselves and others.
- ICT Support: If your child has issues accessing technology for homework, please contact Mrs. Hendry at mhendry@batleygirls.co.uk.
