Safeguarding/ Attendance Update
Dear Parent/Carer,
As we move further into the second half-term of 2019/20, I would again like to thank all parents/ carers for the continuing dramatic improvements in our attendance over recent months. Attendance for 2019/20 so far is 6% higher than it was in 2018/9 and 24% higher than it was in 2017/8, meaning that students are safer, attending lessons more often and therefore maximising their possibilities of achieving highly.
Pleasingly, average attendance of students since joining The Edge is now an incredible 26% higher than their previous school baseline prior to joining us. In addition, it has been fantastic to see students improve their levels of punctuality in 2019/20; punctuality to tutor time is now 19% higher than it was over the course of 2018/9.
On average so far in 2019/20, 55% of all students are now arriving early before the start of school to attend our free breakfast club (where toast, cereal, fruit juices and hot drinks are all provided between 8.45am and 9.15am); we would encourage all students to join the growing numbers of students who are already enjoying this! In recent weeks and months, senior staff on duty have noticed that a small minority of students arriving early are going to the shops close to The Edge before coming to school- we would advise parents/carers not to give their child any spending money on weekday mornings as we provide nutritious breakfast, break and lunch food completely free of charge. All of the latest research also clearly shows that consumption of confectionery, fizzy and energy drinks in the morning hampers students’ focus in lessons as well as contributing to poor health generally.
Please remember that we will automatically issue detentions at the end of the day to any students who miss lesson time by not being in school before 9.35am. A reminder too that we have regretfully had to take court action and fine a minority of parents/ carers over the course of recent months where student attendance has not been in line with our expectations. We continue to help and support all families as much as we possibly can, please feel free to contact our Attendance Officer Jas Greene at [email protected] if you are experiencing any difficulties with which we can assist.
Finally, I wanted to inform you all that we are running a one-off special attendance and punctuality reward challenge in the week commencing Monday December 2nd. All students with 100% attendance and punctuality to tutor time every day will receive a personalised food order of their choice during Friday Brunch on Friday December 6th.
If you have any further questions regarding this letter, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]
Yours faithfully,
Andrew Wakefield
Principal