The Khalsa Academy Wolverhampton, part of The Khalsa Academies Trust, was invited to by the Department for Education to become an attendance hub, and its application was approved by Ministers recently.
Attendance hubs are run by schools with excellent attendance that share practical ideas with other primary, secondary, alternative provision and special schools which need help to boost their attendance, from direct pupil engagement initiatives like breakfast clubs and extracurricular activities, to improving their processes and analysis of attendance data.
The Khalsa Academy becomes one of 18 new attendance hubs across England, bringing the total to 32 that will be supporting nearly 2,000 schools nationwide to tackle persistent absence.
Anita Kaur Notta, Chief Executive Officer of The Khalsa Academies Trust, said: "We are immensely proud of The Khalsa Academy Wolverhampton for its selection as one of the 18 new attendance hubs nationally.
"This achievement underscores the unwavering commitment of senior leaders and staff at the academy to foster outstanding attendance, ensuring that our students actively participate in school and take advantage of excellent educational opportunities.
"The hub will support dozens of schools and academies, driving strategies that will ensure students benefit from an optimal educational experience, and we look forward to contributing to the region's ambitious vision for excellence.”
Councillor Jacqui Coogan, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Work, said: "Following the Covid-19 pandemic, attendance in schools in Wolverhampton and across the country, particularly secondary, remains below where we would like it to be, and persistent absence is still an issue of concern.
"So, it is great news that The Khalsa Academy has been successful in its application to become an attendance hub to help and support dozens of schools in Wolverhampton and across the wider region to improve attendance levels over the next few years."
The hub will be run by senior leaders at The Khalsa Academy Wolverhampton and members of The Khalsa Academies Trust.
Meanwhile, the Government has launched a new national marketing campaign, with the strapline ‘Moments matter, attendance counts’. Aimed at parents, it will highlight the importance of school attendance for attainment, wellbeing and development.
