Testimonials - Attendance
The impact on attendance that EDClass has had is that been able to support an increase of 2.7 per cent increase in the first term of this academic year (2015) because students are engaged in an alternative provision whilst excluded. This often has not been the case in other alternative providers we have set up through failure to engage or attend through choice or transport issues. This is not the case with EDClass as we have set it up in the comfort of their own home after we have undertaken appropriate and legal safeguarding measures to ensure the student is in the right and safe environment to continue their off-site education.
EDClass, because it is all interfaced related students of this day of age quite often prefer to interact in that measure and they almost don’t feel like they are learning and they don’t feel like it is school work, because of the way it is set up and how they engage with it.
I cannot recommend EDClass highly enough in terms of how it has supported the behaviour transformation at the Featherstone Academy and I would willingly endorse it to any other educational establishment in the country that is looking to make a difference in their school’s behaviour and overall school culture.
What is a real bonus for the student is how they can see how they are making progress because the work is so tailored to them in their personalised pathways they actually demonstrate a markable amount of progress. With that intrinsic motivation and being rewarded with being able to see the personal progress made themselves is a really powerful tool to changing some of our students, some of the real hard-to-reach student behaviour.
Also, EDClass has saved the academy many thousands of pounds this academic year because we use it as our first port of call for alternative provision. The impact of EDClass is that we can now support students' learning whilst they are excluded from the academy. Therefore, when they return from their exclusion they have not fallen behind their peers in terms of their learning and they are able to be seamlessly reintegrated back into mainstream lessons without any detriment to their education.
We are avoiding bounce-back exclusions where students return back to mainstream lessons because the gaps in their knowledge can often lead to low-level disruption or further disruption which ends up as a repeat fixed term exclusion – but EDClass fills that gap and students are far better supported in their learning both once on exclusion and when on return from exclusion.
- Jason Kenneally, Featherstone Academy
We, at The Brades Lodge, work with students who experience Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties. As a result, some of our students have been out of education for extended periods of time, when they come to us we have to integrate them back into a school environment and get them ready for learning again.
Since we have been using EDClass as one of our strategies the attendance has increased by almost 10%. The motivation to work is rewarded by the token system and the games appropriate to the students we work with. The pre-set lessons work well and link in with the curriculum.
The support from EDClass is invaluable and issues encountered have been dealt with quickly and efficiently.
- Simon Hobbs, Acting Head of School, The Brades Lodge
The Co-Operative Academy has been the highest-attending high school in Manchester for the last four years and constantly strives to keep attendance at a high level. We currently have 900 students on roll. The attendance up to half term 5 this academic year was 97.21% and our PA level was 3%. In the last released DfE’s figures, we came in the top 1% of England.
The Academy is based in an area of low-income families with a high proportion of students coming from challenging complex backgrounds. Keeping students engaged and attending regularly is a daily challenging task. We were introduced to EDClass from Ian in the middle of the academic year 2016 – 2017 the impact on our attendance was instant and has a positive impact on our figures.
I can confidently say that if we had had the package sooner we would have had a lower PA figure and increased attendance. With the purchase of the EDClass seat, we have access to EDClass which we have set up in our internal Exclusion suite, this provides students who would normally have to work from worksheets, access to lessons and coursework that they would normally be completed in lessons.
In my role as Attendance Manager and Safeguarding Officer, I am often asked to visit other schools and Academies to offer support in improving their attendance, I have no problem in endorsing the EDClass company to Schools and Academies as a tool to improve their attendance and support students.
- Jenny Robey, The Co-Operative Academy of Manchester
We have been using EDClass now for 2 academic years. This has been a vital part of the school's alternative provision for pupils with mental health needs, attendance concerns and behavioural concerns. EDClass is used as part of a bespoke package of intervention for our students, who may also have other alternative provisions as well. EDClass has enabled us to support pupils with poor attendance and has contributed to the school having a PA rate that is well below the national average. We have also been able to use EDClass effectively to support our pupils who have behavioural concerns, engaging them in learning when at times they have become disengaged.
- Matt Taylor, Hindley High School
One student is unable to access school at the moment, but with EDClass access has been able to attend online lessons - and in the last term had 33% attendance compared to the 0% she would have had.
Another student has had a staggering return from hospital and EDClass has provided them with a stable short-term education routine to help reintegration. They have attended 75% of the time, whereas without this provision, they wouldn't have been able to attend school.
- Jamie Turner, Inspiration Trust
EDClass has allowed us to provide additional education to our students with medical needs, who cannot work in school full time. This has therefore had a positive impact on their attendance. We are also impressed that we can select pathways unique to the students to suit their ability level.
"Attendance percentage increased significantly as did progress for disengaged and vulnerable students.
- Melissa Maddison, Associate Head at Chaucer
Better attendance figures and helped improve parent-school contact.
- Dawn Burne, Head of Pastoral Care at Mount St Joseph
With attendance continuing to have a high agenda within schools we have found EDClass to be invaluable. It has provided us with the flexibility in providing work for pupils who are genuinely unable to attend school due to ill health. It has also enabled us to provide support for those pupils suffering from mental health issues and struggling to attend a full timetable. Parents/carers value the extra support which is further enhanced through the safeguarding home visit. We also use EDClass to provide an early intervention learning package for those pupils who are at risk of fixed-term exclusion. Pupils no longer see a fixed-term exclusion as ‘an extra days holiday.
The support provided by the staff at EDClass has been exemplary from the training offered to the response to safeguarding issues.