Bishop Lonsdale CofE Primary School’s work to reduce absences recognised with kitemark award

Inclusive Attendance, an organisation which has worked with more than 1,000 schools across the United Kingdom to help improve their attendance plans, has awarded Bishop Lonsdale a Bronze Kitemark.

The award recognises the school’s work to reduce persistent absences and improve overall attendance. And the organisation’s auditors concluded the school, part of the Derby Diocesan Academy Trust (DDAT), is already well on its way to achieving its silver badge.

Prior to the pandemic, attendance at the school in St Alban’s Road was 0.4% below national rates but by the end of 2024 it was 1% better than national figures.

Persistent absences – where pupils miss 10% or more of their education time – were more than 1.8% above the national figure before the pandemic, but this gap reduced to 1.1% at the end of last year.

Head of School Sarah Brownhall said: “Receiving this recognition of our hard work really is rewarding for all our colleagues who strive to create a school which children want to come to, with activities and experiences they don’t want to miss out on. It is a fabulous achievement to be able to share with our children.”

Bishop Lonsdale recently featured on the national Channel 4 News highlighting the positive work it has done to improve attendance through its engagement with the “Unmissable” campaign.The campaign, led by Derby County Community Trust, celebrates what pupils love about going to school and allows teachers to share their inclusive approaches to attendance.

The Inclusive Attendance report highlighted the specific research the school has done to understand the reasons behind persistent absences, and the actions put in place to address them.

For example, data showed pupils at risk of persistent absence were often those who were also late. It also revealed that the same children were often on time when the doors were opened early due to bad weather, so now the school opens earlier every day.This ‘softer’ start to school day has meant that more pupils arrive on time and some even get there an hour early!

School leaders have also spoken to parents about the learning the pupils miss when they are late which has improved understanding of the importance of attendance and had a positive impact.Pupils also shared their insights and experiences, which helped the school to understand that pupils were sometimes late because they struggled to get out of bed. As a result, the school is developing plans to work with families on sleep hygiene and bedtime routines.

Michelle Odell from Inclusive Attendance said: “We are thrilled that Bishop Lonsdale C of E Primary School is the first school in Derby to achieve The Inclusive Attendance Bronze Kitemark Award. “The school goes above and beyond to develop its culture of inclusivity and belonging, making school a happy, caring, nurturing and supportive community. It is a place where everyone feels truly valued and welcome.

“There is an enhanced understanding that all aspects of school, community and home-life can impact on school attendance and the school not only offers bespoke support to families but ensures that it is proactive in developing strong home-school and community links.

“Many congratulations to the inspirational school team, children and families of Bishops Lonsdale on this outstanding achievement.”