St Mark’s Academy in Mitcham shines in national attendance awards
The academy has won two awards for its outstanding pupil attendance rates.
Staff and students at St Mark’s CofE Academy in Mitcham, part of Anthem Schools Trust, are celebrating after being recognised for an excellent track record in pupil attendance.
St Mark’s has once again achieved the milestone of earning two national attendance awards from FFT Education.
The Mitcham academy has won an award for being in the top 10% of similar FFT secondary schools for the school year 2023/2024.
It also scooped another award for being in the top 10% of all FFT secondary schools nationally in 2023/2024
This recognition celebrates St Mark’s unwavering commitment to fostering a culture of high attendance and ensuring that every student is given the best opportunity to succeed.
The school has three approaches to driving its success in pupil attendance: creating a culture of high attendance, addressing barriers to attendance and having consistency in practice.
St Mark’s values high attendance across the board, with every team member, from support staff to leadership, sharing the belief that attendance is the cornerstone of student success.
The academy also focuses on identifying and addressing the root causes of absenteeism and collaborating with parents to ensure students feel supported to attend.
It also makes sure it has a consistent approach in its attendance strategy, using systematic tracking and data analysis, diligent follow-up on all absences and identifying patterns of high absenteeism.
Jennie Khan, Senior Vice Principal at St Mark’s said: “I am very proud of these awards and I would like to thank everyone at St Mark's - staff, students and parents - who has made this possible.
“A special thank you to the members of staff who work so hard to follow up on every absence and to engage and work with hard-to-reach students and families.
“St Mark’s success story is a testament to the power of teamwork, strategic thinking, and a relentless focus on inclusion for all students.
“This comes at a time when attendance is often a challenge and remains a high priority for all schools.”