TKAT in focus: Havant

Havant Academy rises to become one of England’s most improved schools for attendance

Havant Academy has achieved remarkable progress in the last year, securing its place as the third most improved small secondary school in England for attendance. This milestone reflects a whole-school effort to tackle persistent absence, re-engage learners, and rebuild a culture of belonging where regular attendance is understood as the foundation of success.

Leaders at Havant Academy have introduced a more structured and proactive approach to attendance, achieving a drop in persistent absence of more than 11%.

Daily monitoring, targeted pastoral support, and closer work with families have been key drivers of improvement. Staff have also focused on early intervention, identifying concerns quickly and working collaboratively to remove barriers that keep students from school.

Assistant Headteacher Anthony Ender, who leads the school Attendance Strategy, said: “The impact of our approach has been clear. Significant reductions in both overall and persistent absence show that students are not only attending more regularly but staying engaged for longer."

“We are particularly proud of the significant improvements in attendance of those students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). These gains are particularly notable given the national challenge of post-pandemic attendance, where many schools continue to struggle."

“Havant Academy’s rapid improvement demonstrates what is possible when high expectations, strong relationships, and consistent systems work together. While there is still progress to be made, the school feels this achievement stands as a powerful sign of its ongoing transformation and its commitment to giving every student the best chance to succeed.”

Read the article from The News in Portsmouth here