|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Case studiesAttendance at OldmixonSIMS Attendance: the tool supporting improved attendance at Oldmixon Primary, Weston-Super-Mare In 1999, unauthorised absence at Oldmixon Primary School in Weston-Super-Mare was running at 1.3%. Like many seaside areas, Weston has considerable pockets of social deprivation within its permanent residential community. Headteacher Chris Rush explained: "We needed to reduce this figure - but we wanted 'real' improvement, not just facts and figures - it's the children that count, rather than statistics!" Oldmixon has 200 plus pupils, with a 90-place nursery. Although the school has been on its present site for 32 years, it is to benefit from major building works this year. The school has also benefited from its membership of the Weston Education Achievement Zone. "The zone financially supports a number of projects - our breakfast and homework clubs, and our Easter school. These help create the environment in which our pupils can improve their learning" said Chris. WEAZ has also funded the implementation of the SIMS Attendance module in 10 schools across the zone. At Oldmixon, this support has included the installation and training on the module, and important 'extras' such as the answer-phone/fax, and certificates and badges for the pupils. Perhaps crucially, it has part -funded the costs of a key person, Jackie Robinson! Jackie is a Learning Support Assistant who is also the schools finance administrator - and now, thanks to the extra funding, the attendance administrator! This 'pump-prime' money is allowing the school to embed the use of the new Attendance module into its routines. "Training on SIMS attendance is straightforward." Jackie said "the training was straight forward - a day was plenty of time. If we have a 'usage' problem the help desk at North Somerset sorts us out!"* Previously, teachers filled in manual registers, and balances were updated when time allowed. Chris herself compiled the necessary figures and reports - perhaps not the best use of a busy head's time! Now, teachers still fill in a register, but Jackie enters the marks in the module. "It takes about an hour each week - the system defaults to 'present' and so I just enter 'exceptions' with the correct code". Useful reports are easily generated - group analysis by attendance category and individual attendance reports have proved immediately useful; the latter have been used by the Education Welfare Officer to support earlier intervention. This could mean important early intervention if Child Protection issues are suspected. Chris added: "The DfES Year End report went smoothly - it saved us hours of frustrating and boring calculating!" The next steps for the 'attendance team' are to send individual attendance reports (in Microsoft Word) to pupils' parental reports, and to make more use of the various letters generated by the module. *North Somerset's schools receive SIMS support from Capita Wessex Regional Centre 'Useful reports from the software - and good management!' SIMS Attendance has been part of a complete review of attendance policy at Oldmixon. The module does generate useful reports, but it is the actions that follow that make the difference! Good class attendance is celebrated at assembly, with extra 'play time' for the best attending class each week. Children with 100% termly attendance are rewarded with a book token, their names are published, and parents congratulated. Jackie remembered "before, when Chris wanted to know the best attendees, an LSA did the calculations. This meant hours of time away from the children. As well as 'carrots', improving attendance needs tight administrative procedures. Oldmixon has instituted a 'first-day call' to parents, who are asked to leave an explanatory message on the school's answer-phone. Jackie sorts these messages, and rings parents back quickly, when necessary. She said "the number of calls I make has decreased - we have a book in the office for parents to complete if they come into school with siblings - this also helps us follow-up quickly". Unauthorised absence has decreased steadily at the school - 0.9% by 2001, 0.6% a year later, and now it is down to 0.3% - below Chris's target of 0.5% for this year! Attendance is also rising steadily, as the school's actions increasingly help parents understand the importance of good attendance for their children. SIMS Attendance has been an important tool in this process, but the change could not have been achieved without the strong leadership of Chris, the efficient management of the processes by Jackie, and the work of the rest of the Oldmixon staff team! Modules related to this case study: |
|
© Capita plc 2010 |
Privacy
Legal Statement
Information Policies
Site map |
Email the Webmaster |
SupportNet Login