Attendance Week – a Brooke Weston Trust initiative – aims to raise awareness around the many benefits of attending school, especially against the backdrop of Covid-19.

Staff and pupils from Gretton Primary School, Compass Primary Academy, Beanfield Primary School, Peckover Primary School, and Oakley Vale Primary School all took part in a range of exciting, informative activities to mark the occasion.

These included designing posters, watching videos, taking part in assemblies, reading, creating a mascot as part of a competition in school, and electing pupil Attendance Ambassadors to help lead on activities throughout the week.

Parents and local families were also involved and were sent leaflets highlighting why sending their child to school is so important.

Callum Reilly, Education Welfare Officer at Beanfield Primary School, said: “We wanted to run Attendance Week to raise awareness and showcase the numerous benefits schools offer, all while engaging our young people and having fun.

“Covid-19 has certainly had an impact on attendance and presented schools across the UK with a high-level of disruption, but we’re confident that we’re building back stronger and embedding a positive culture around attendance to ensure the very best outcomes for our pupils.”

Research has shown that children with poor attendance find it harder to make and keep friends, are less likely to gain good qualifications, earn lower wages, have a higher chance of being unemployed, and have low self-esteem.

Dr Andrew Campbell, CEO of Brooke Weston Trust, said: “We all know how important it is to be in school and how detrimental missing school can be to children’s life chances.

“All Brooke Weston Trust schools have a passionate unrelenting commitment to our pupils and helping them overcome any and all barriers to learning and personal growth. Attendance Week was a great project that has helped us to do this.”

Pixie a Year 6 pupil and Attendance Ambassador at Beanfield Primary School, said: “I had so much fun taking part in Attendance Week. My favourite bit was reading stories to younger children about why it is important to come to school.”

Brooke Weston Trust is a multi- academy trust in the East Midlands, with a mission to transform educational performance across local communities in which it operates.