Headteacher's Blog #4

As we come to the end of our fifth school week, I am delighted with the progress of the school. Even though I am now a little long in the tooth, I still get excited when I see schools improve; I never lose sight of the importance of our work. Improved schools mean improved life chances, and this ultimately makes society a better place. The last decade has seen a transformation in how many of us view society. Social and political upheaval and the transformative effect of technology have left us increasingly siloed and individualistic. This is a great shame and is best seen for me in changing attitudes to school attendance.

At LSA school attendance, although improving, is still fragile. Two years ago, our attendance was far below national expectations and last year, although much improved, it was still lagging behind. In the last two weeks, attendance has dropped again, and we are once again in danger of being behind the national average. The great concern I have is that school attendance is resilience, and resilience in the future is success. If this isn't established firmly in schools, then the occasional day off turns itself into sick days at work and all of us suffer. Ultimately, we are contributing not just to the future of our children but to the future prosperity of our country. We forget sometimes that we are all connected, and schools, as unpalatable as they may seem on a wet Friday morning are a great force for public good.

I appreciate all of your support in our collective improvement. I hope this year that our school attendance makes me proud to be LSA!