Nottingham’s first primary school hub for Attendance and Behaviour programme
Transform Trust, a primary school trust with 26 schools across the East Midlands, is proud to share that Sneinton St Stephen’s Church of England Primary School is the first primary school in Nottingham to be selected by the DFE to support other schools across the East Midlands and nationally to help raise attendance. As a community-focused, inclusive school where positive partnerships and the mantra of “together we can achieve” underpins every aspect of school life, this recognition from the DFE has delighted everyone within the school and the trust community.
As part of their commitment as a ‘lead school’, they will be providing intensive support for up to six schools over a year and will also deliver training events to a wider set of schools in their region. Emma Hampton, Transform Trust’s Director of Inclusion, is responsible for developing and implementing the trust’s attendance and behaviour strategy across its community of schools. She said;
“Attendance is a high priority for us, and we know through our data that there is a proven link between attendance, wellbeing, belonging and - ultimately - outcomes. We have therefore developed a strategy and approach that encourages and supports all of our children and their families with attendance.
“As educators, we are united in our belief that quality education is the key to a better quality of life, and we know the detrimental impact that persistent absence from school has on a child’s progression. This is not about apportioning blame or pointing fingers; it’s about identifying real barriers to education and understanding the complexities involved.
As a primary school trust, with many of our schools having a nursery provision, we are working with families from the earliest point. We know that collaboration is key, and so we work in close partnerships with our families to identify the challenges that some of our children face and provide a graduated response to meet their individual attendance needs. We make sure that we recognise and celebrate where attendance improves and seek specialist involvement when further support is needed for some of our most vulnerable children.”
“Our incredible schools strive to create welcoming and belonging school environments that are deep-rooted in a culture of high expectations and aspirations, whilst being clear in our expectations around attendance and other aspects of school life. We are absolutely delighted and proud that Sneinton has been recognised by the DFE. The school played a pivotal role in the formation of Transform Trust with our CEO Rebecca Meredith and Chief School Improvement Officer Kelly Lee both being former headteachers there, and it's been on a significant improvement journey over the years. Our current headteacher, Mark Lowe, has been part of the trust for many years and so there has been a continuity of care and a drive for excellence throughout.”
Headteacher, Mark Lowe, commented:
“We are so fortunate to be part of a community of schools that really understand the day-to-day pressures and challenges for our families, whether that’s due to tough economic climates or physical, social and emotional barriers to education or just the practicalities of actually getting into school every day on time. Here at Sneinton St Stephen’s, our primary focus has always been on building a culture of inclusion. We know from experience that by nurturing positive relationships with our school community, we can work together to break down and overcome many barriers. We have a graduated approach to attendance and our mantra is: relationships first – attendance will follow.
“We are also an unashamedly ambitious school and drive for excellence; our children deserve the very best, and we want all in our community to flourish. We have a team of extraordinary staff who really give their all in terms of expertise, commitment and love. Together we have created an engaging, inclusive and ambitious curriculum and provide lots of enhancements through extra-curricular activities. As an ‘Apple Distinguished’ and ‘Reading For Pleasure school’, we aim to equip children with the skills to thrive as both future learners and citizens. It’s so important to create an environment where children want to come to school, and we are continually looking at ways to improve our provision.”
The school’s inclusive and aspirational culture was recognised by Ofsted and Siam’s inspectors in 2024 and awarded the highest grading across all areas. “There is a culture of inclusion and high expectations.” (Ofsted, 2024)“Parents speak of the ‘open door’ culture.” (SIAMS, 2024)“Pupils know they are loved, and staff go the extra mile.” (SIAMS, 2024)
Mark continued. “Guided by our school mission and belief that ‘Together, We Can Achieve,’ we’re committed to working collaboratively with other schools, and are excited to be named an Attendance and Behaviour RISE Lead Hub School as this programme will enable us to live this out.”