We are delighted to announce that Trust school Ashington Academy has been chosen to lead one of 18 brand-new attendance hubs across England. Attendance hubs are centres of excellence that help other schools to improve their own attendance rates by sharing their expertise, successful strategies and resources.
Ashington Academy was chosen as a lead school due to their exceptional track record of good attendance and effective work to fix any instances of poor attendance. Coupled with higher than average exam results and some of the best progress outcomes for students in the whole of the North East region, the attendance hub is yet another accolade for the school.
Attendance hubs across the UK are now beginning their work in earnest, pairing up with groups of schools similar to their own to lead change by helping teachers up and down the country to figure out the best ways to get more children in school and learning every day, something that has been a particular problem since the Covid-19 pandemic.Â
Speaking about the new endeavour, attendance hub lead and new Headteacher at Ashington Academy, Debra Hudson, said:
"Becoming an attendance hub is a fantastic honour for Ashington Academy, and we are delighted to be leading this exciting and important piece of work. Attending school is something most people assume is the norm, but sadly this is not always the case, with many children persistently absent when they should and could be in class with their peers. We have worked closely with families for several years to improve the situation here in Ashington, and by sharing what we have learned, we can now give even more children a better chance at success by getting them back into school."
Lesley Powell CBE, CEO of the North East Learning Trust added:Â
"The Ashington Attendance hub is a real feather in the cap for both the school and the wider Trust family. Sharing expertise from thriving schools is increasingly acknowledged as the best way to boost wider school improvement across the whole country, and I am delighted that Ashington Academy's expertise in this area has been formally recognised. Not only will all schools in our Trust benefit but starting now, Ashington will be sharing strategies that make a big difference for children in other schools across the region and beyond."
