VIP Attendance Club
At The Stephen Longfellow Academy excellent attendance is our obsession! Attend to achieve!
It is with pleasure that we have launched The Stephen Longfellow Academy’s ‘VIP attendance club’. The ‘VIP attendance club’ is an integral part of Academy life and supports our ethos of ‘Attend to Achieve’. As I am sure you will be aware, research shows that there is a very clear relationship between excellent school attendance and academic achievement. Year after year, students with the best school attendance achieve the best results. We are passionate about providing students with the best possible life chances and as such, know that they must ‘Attend to Achieve’. Our goal is to ensure that learning time is not lost due to absence. This is why we are delighted to celebrate and reward our students that are attending 100% each week.
Achieving 100% each week entitles students to a range of rewards throughout the year. We recognise 100% attendance each week is a huge achievement and one that needs significant reward and celebration! Therefore, only students with 100% attendance for the week will be granted access to the club. The ‘VIP attendance club’ is a reward for those students who show resilience and excellent attitude to school. There will be regular opportunities throughout the year for students and their families to access large rewards and vouchers.
Rewards in place:
Weekly ‘Attendance Lotto Spin the Wheel’ gives students the chance to win £10 on their Amazon account.
- 1 full week in school = 1 entry into the Weekly ‘Attendance Lotto Spin the Wheel’.
- 1 full week with no lates to school in a week = 1 extra entry into the Weekly ‘Attendance Lotto Spin the Wheel’.
- 1 full week in school = 1 entry into the half termly rewards assembly to win the half termly big prize. The more weeks students have 100% attendance, the more entries for the half termly big prize.
1 full week in school = 1 entry into the half termly rewards assembly to win the half termly big prize. The more weeks students have 100% attendance, the more entries for the half termly big prize.
Half termly rewards:
- October Half Term Prize – £50 on their Amazon account
- Christmas Half Term Prize – £50 on their Amazon account
- February Half Term Prize – £50 on their Amazon account
- Easter Half Term Prize – £50 on their Amazon account
- May Half Term Prize – £50 on their Amazon account
- Summer Half Term Prize – Flamingo Land Family Pass
Milestone rewards:
We are also excited to be celebrating and rewarding milestone achievements for students who continue to have excellent attendance and hitting certain weeks in the VIP attendance club. From prizes such as 10 weeks in the ‘VIP attendance club’ = £20 Jump Inc/Arcade Club/Cinema/Amazon to our top prize winning a PlayStation5 for 100% attendance for the full year.
Attendance at TSLA: “Every child, every day”
At TSLA, attendance is our obsession!
The Stephen Longfellow Academy exists to improve the education and life-chances of our pupils. Integral to this improvement is excellent attendance, ensuring that our pupils access a high-quality curriculum alongside the pastoral and therapeutic care on offer. Historically, the attendance of pupils at TSLA has been excellent, far exceeding the national average for Alternative Provisions. Our mantra for Attendance at TSLA is simple: “Every pupil, every day”. We as an academy will work tirelessly towards having every pupil in school for as many days as possible, as each day is an opportunity to provide them with the education and care they need to succeed.
Meet the Team
Mrs K Mclelland
Attendance Lead
Mrs G Hazell
Attendance Officer
Attendance process
Attendance expectations
Pupils are welcome on site from 8:45am with breakfast served in the Dining Hall.
All pupils are expected to be in their form room by 9.15am.
Any pupils arriving after 9:15am will be given a Late mark.
Reporting absence
If your child is absent, you must phone the Academy on 0113 468 5999 before 8.45am to report the absence and provide a reason.
If you don’t do this, you will receive a phone call from an Attendance Officer.
You may be visited at home to see if any support is needed.
If you have any questions about attendance, please contact the Academy and ask to speak to the Attendance team.
| Attendance record | Chances of success |
| 95%+ attendance | 73% of pupils achieve 5 GCSEs at Grade 4+ |
| 85 – 90% attendance |
1.3 times less likely to achieve Grade 4+ in English & Maths |
| 80-85% attendance | 2.2 times less likely to achieve 5 GCSE at Grade 4+ including English and Maths |
| Below 50% attendance | Only 3% of pupils achieve 5 GCSEs inc. English and Maths |
Attendance matters… Impact on your mental health
Coming to school each day is a positive routine for our pupils that gives them a purpose and something to aim for. As an Academy we pride ourselves on the pastoral and therapeutic care we provide our pupils, making it a safe place for your child to feel supported with any issues they are facing, which will have a positive impact on their mental health.
Attending school each day also helps pupils build and maintain friendships, boosting their confidence and social skills.
Attendance matters… Impact on your future career
Excellent attendance and punctuality are key skills every employer is looking for. You’ll see from our Careers and Post 16 page that we provide our pupils expert Careers Education, Advice, Information and Guidance to support them into their next stage of education or employment. By maintaining good attendance, your child will be showing their future employee that they are reliable and trustworthy and are more likely to be successful in their future job.
What could happen if your child’s attendance is poor?
The Stephen Longfellow academy has a 4-stage process that is designed to offer support and remove barriers to poor attendance. Throughout this time there will be opportunities for parents to meet with key members of staff from both Stephen Longfellow and the commissioning school. Support can be offered from our attendance team.
If attendance fails to improve over the monitoring period, all evidence collated through attendance support (phone calls, visits, letters, additional support and SAP meeting minutes) will be shared with the commissioning academy. Your case could then be passed on for prosecution or discussion with the commissioning academy may take place regarding the suitability of the placement.