Two school pupils in uniform sat at a desk.
School pupils in uniform.

Why pupils should aim to attend school every day

A campaign to encourage pupils to aim for 100 per cent school attendance has been launched in Hull.

Headteachers from the city’s primary and secondary schools have launched the Every Day Counts campaign alongside Hull City Council to raise awareness of the benefits of attending school every day.

Full-time primary and secondary school pupils who achieve 100 per cent attendance this academic year will be rewarded with an invitation to visit Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull FC rugby clubs for a morning of activities – and a chance to meet the players next summer.

In November, pupils who achieve 100 per cent attendance in this month will be entered into a prize draw, with Viking FM offering £250 plus 10 prizes of gift vouchers, concert tickets, cinema tickets and technology.

Jo Moxon, assistant director for learning and skills, said: “We know that pupils who attend school regularly are more than twice as likely to achieve five or more good GCSE grades than those who have high levels of absence. This in turn impacts upon successful further education and good career prospects.”

Paris and Ben with the Lord Mayor

Paris and Ben celebrate 100 percent attendance throughout their education

Two pupils have celebrated their 100 per cent attendance throughout their education – 16-year-old school leavers Ben Parry of west Hull and Paris Glover of east Hull have never missed a single day’s education at any of their primary or secondary schools.

Ben, who attended St Mary’s College and Thoresby Primary School, said: “To attend school every day is a massive achievement. I think it is important to have a good outlook on your subjects even if you don’t like them.

“I was a bit apprehensive about getting my GCSE results, especially for maths, because I really struggled with it. I might not be a top-performing student, but I’m proud that I got the results I needed, which meant I could go into sixth form. If I had missed any days of school, it would be even harder to get the results that I needed. You miss loads in one day and you might not be able to catch up.

“I’m now at the next stage of my education, at St Mary’s sixth form, doing A-levels in health and social care, criminology and applied science, and a BTEC in drama. I want to be a paramedic and, to do that, you need three A-levels including a science, plus your baseline GCSEs.”

Find out more information here.

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