The Academy Day

The organisation of the school day at St Paul’s Academy is designed to optimise teaching and learning opportunities whilst allowing our students adequate time to eat breakfast and lunch as well as play and socialise with their friends. We believe the start and end of the school day are crucial to prepare for the learning ahead and then to reflect and celebrate the many successes of the school day.

At 8.20am students assemble with their year group in designated areas ready to be collected by their Form Tutor. Across the week the morning Form Time allows for students to prepare for their school day, take part in the PSHE programme and attend assemblies.

At St Paul’s Academy the school day consists of six 50 minute lessons. Time is also allocated during the day for students to top up their water bottles during break time; good hydration is key to effective learning. At lunch time students enjoy a 50 minute break, again, with food being available in the restaurant and from the Food Pod. Seating areas outside are available for students with a packed lunch. After school, students regularly remain on the campus either working under the supervision of teaching or support staff or taking part in organised activities.

Advantages of the Academy day

The Academy day is organised in such a way as to:

Enhance the quality of teaching and learning for all
Provide opportunities for students to eat and drink throughout the day
Support the well being of both students and staff by providing appropriate working times and break times
Ensure students have quality time with their friends to develop key social skills
Positively manage student behaviour through clear systems and procedures that are supported by all
members of the school community.

Timings of the school day

Attendance

At St Paul’s Academy, we are proud to have strong attendance. Before the pandemic, levels of attendance at school and absences which were authorised consistently reached 98.79% with actual attendance at school being at approximately 95%+. Currently, our levels of attendance at school is 92.5% which is slightly below the national average of 92.8%. The Academy is committed to working closely with parents and carers in order to achieve the best possible attendance and punctuality for all our students. The welfare of our students is paramount and the Academy is concerned with any child missing education. This is in line with the school’s safeguarding policy.

Legally, we are required to register students twice a day, but at St Paul’s Academy, students are registered at the beginning of every lesson so that attendance can be easily and effectively monitored as well as enabling us to safeguard our students.

In order to achieve the best possible educational outcomes and to take full advantage of the educational opportunities offered at St Paul’s Academy, students are expected in school every day, unless they are ill and the school is notified by a parent or carer, or if prior permission for absence has been granted.

If a parent wishes a student to be absent from school during term time, approval must be sought in writing from the Principal. Permission will not normally be granted for holidays to be taken in term time, but we are sensitive to the fact that many of our students have relatives living abroad and that emergencies can occur. Penalty notices can be issued to parents who take their children out of school. More importantly, the disruption to students’ learning of a week [or more] absence may have a severe detrimental effect on their progress. In the event of persistent unauthorised absence, the school will work in partnership with the parents and carers and our School Attendance Officer.

Ms Vaughan is our School Attendance Officer. As part of her work, Ms Vaughan deals with poor punctuality, frequent and prolonged unexplained absence and the monitoring of attendance at individual lessons. Ms Vaughan will follow up concerns over attendance involving contact with students, parents and carers. She can always be reached by telephoning the school.