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13/11/24

Members of the our student leadership body representing at the Mitcham Remembrance day service. pic.twitter.com/kM77l97O4D

22/08/24

⭐️⭐️⭐️9 Grade 9’s⭐️⭐️⭐️ We are so proud of Rouzana! She has done amazing, such a bright future ahead 🌟 pic.twitter.com/YRhzKfCm61

22/08/24

🎉🎉🎉HARD WORK PAYS OFF🎉🎉🎉 Exceptional performance from Manuchehr, Jael, Zhuri and Erin! 20 grade 9’s between the 4 of them 🤩🤩 We are so proud of all the work that they have put in 💪#achievementissuccess pic.twitter.com/KI4R2KR18w

22/08/24

🎉🎉🎉HARD WORK PAYS OFF🎉🎉🎉 Nariana achieving a strong set of grade 9’s! We are so proud of all the work that she put in 🤩#achievementissuccess pic.twitter.com/eW6VSSaybl

15/08/24

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really proud of our students going on to University in September to study Veterinary Science, Mechanical Engineering, Palaeontology and Primary Education ⭐️⭐️⭐️ pic.twitter.com/fpMpq9fe38

15/08/24

🎉⭐️A* A B⭐️🎉 Really proud of Maham going off to read Fashion Marketing pic.twitter.com/wicWT0moKD

15/08/24

🎉⭐️A* A A⭐️🎉 Really proud of Isaac going off to read Neuroscience and Psychology at pic.twitter.com/RHXjqb4iiw

15/08/24

⭐️⭐️⭐️A* A* A*⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really proud of Matthew going off to read Civil Engineering at pic.twitter.com/CSJu2SzJIs

24/05/24

Today we said farewell to our Year 13’s with a leavers breakfast and rewarded all students with 💯 attendance with ice cream! 🍦 Have a lovely break all! pic.twitter.com/qkUc3hbvEp

23/05/24

🏆🥇YR 8 GIRLS CROYDON BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS 2024🥇🏆 An amazing performance and a well deserved win. That’s 2 cups these girls have won this year, what a way to finish the season 🏀⛹🏽‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/gUvhXe0jLS

23/05/24

Our year 10 geographers working hard on the physical fieldwork element of their GCSE at Whitstable Beach this week 🌍 pic.twitter.com/RbwuVNgE5h

16/04/24

Smiles all round from our girls crew onboard the Prolific. They are on their way to Studland bay for the evening after battling the wind and rain last night⛵️💨🌊 pic.twitter.com/dVeMjWK8Jl

28/03/24

A DOUBLE WIN for the Year 7 girls. They have now reached the Basketball Cup FINAL!!! A tough day for them having to play 2 matches in 1 day, but the girls dug deep and went out with the determination to win 🙌🏼🏀🎉 pic.twitter.com/7hXD3aERDV

28/03/24

A DOUBLE WIN for the Year 7 girls. They have now reached the Basketball Cup FINAL!!! A tough day for them having to play 2 matches in 1 day, but the girls dug deep and went out with the determination to win 🙌🏼🏀🎉 pic.twitter.com/7hXD3aERDV

08/03/24

We are so proud and honoured to have won ‘Education Institution Of The Year’ for the London Region by 🏀🤩 A massive thank you to Mr Boothe who dedicates a lot of time and hard work into coaching all of our basketball teams ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/rbS1dUiel6

08/03/24

We are so proud and honoured to have won ‘Education Institution Of The Year’ for the London Region by 🏀🤩 A massive thank you to Mr Boothe who dedicates a lot of time and hard work into coaching all of our basketball teams ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/rbS1dUiel6

04/03/24

To get ready for literacy week this week we recently rewarded our KS3 TOP READERS with a trip to the British Library in central London where they explored the treasures of British literature! pic.twitter.com/0soVHbgF78

09/02/24

A fantastic end to the week and what an amazing half-term it has been. Lots of sporting achievements to be proud of. Wishing all of our students and families a restful break, we look forward to returning well-rested and ready to kick start another great half-term 🙌🏽 pic.twitter.com/KPTrgzxnr9

09/02/24

A fantastic end to the week and what an amazing half-term it has been. Lots of sporting achievements to be proud of. Wishing all of our students and families a restful break, we look forward to returning well-rested and ready to kick start another great half-term 🙌🏽 pic.twitter.com/KPTrgzxnr9

08/02/24

Yr 10 Harris Experience students at the Opera! 🎶🎶🎼 pic.twitter.com/6HAcKJSeQU

Harris Academies
All Academies in our Federation aim to transform the lives of the students they serve by bringing about rapid improvement in examination results, personal development and aspiration.

Central Office

Bexley

Brent

Bromley

Clapham

Croydon

Greenwich

Haringey

Havering

Merton

Newham

Southwark

Stratford

Sutton

Thurrock

Wandsworth

Westminster

Attendance

At Harris Academy Merton we believe that good attendance is vital to the wellbeing and prospects of all our students. Attendance is intrinsically linked to our Academy strategy for raising achievement. We thus expect students to achieve above 96% attendance.

Punctuality to school is also crucial to create a calm and purposeful atmosphere as students who are persistently late often disrupt their own and others’ learning. We expect students to arrive on time for learning.

A student’s progress is severely hampered if they do not regularly attend school. To illustrate:

Percentage Attendance 

School Days Missed Over an Academic Year 

Sessions Missed  

100% attendance 

0 school days missed 

95% attendance 

10 school days missed (60 lessons) 

20 sessions 

90% attendance 

19 school days missed (114 lessons) 

38 sessions 

85% attendance 

29 school days missed (174 lessons) 

58 sessions 

 

How can I track my child’s attendance?

You have access to My Child at School (MCAS) to track your child’s attendance. Students' attendance should be 96% and above. If a students’ attendance is below 90%, they are considered persistently absent, and action will be required to address this serious cause for concern. If you need a reminder of how to access this platform, please call reception for support. 

 

How can I support my child’s attendance to school?

  1. Talk regularly with your child about school and how they feel about it. They are more likely to attend if they feel supported and anxieties listened to. 
  1. Phone us as soon as possible to tell us why your child is absent, and when you expect them to return. Putting the school number in your phone can save you time. Know the school routine for alerting you to absence. 
  1. Only grant days at home for genuine illness.
  1. Avoid taking holidays in school time. 
  1. Know routines of the school day to avoid issues, e.g. have they got their PE kit? 
  2. Praise and reward good attendance: even small successes.
  3. Contact Faculty to resolve issues, we may be able to help and support.

 

What happens if my child’s attendance is low?

We review attendance weekly for the below:

  • Students that miss 10 sessions (5 school days) in 10 weeks
  • Students that are persistently absence (bellow 90% attendance)

Faculty staff may contact parents/carers to put in place support via an Attendance Contract with the aim of improving a child’s attendance over a 6-week period, and longer. This will involve various on-site strategies to support your child e.g., Early Help 1-1 conversations, Learning Zone, rewards.

If little improvement is seen or a there is a lack of engagement from parents/carers, a Notice to Improve (NTI) letter may be sent which outlines improvements that need to be made during a monitoring period of between 3 and 6 weeks.

If sufficient improvement has not been made, details will be forwarded to the Senior Education Welfare Officer at Merton who will make arrangements for a Penalty Notice fine to be issued.

Ppo

 

How do we promote good attendance at Harris Academy Merton?

Assistant Principals take overall responsibility for encouraging and rewarding publicly the need for high attendance and excellent levels of punctuality in their Faculties. Any figures which outperform the Academy targets or demonstrate week-on-week improvement are celebrated with staff and students during tutor time and weekly assemblies. Staff encourage a competitive spirit within and between Faculties.

100% attendance and punctuality are rewarded at weekly and termly celebration assemblies where students receive badges, certificates, and vouchers. There are also termly rewards for shorter periods of 100% attendance, this includes bowling, an ice cream van, breakfast, and movie screenings.

 

KEY DOCUMENTS

LB Merton School Attendance and Penalty Notice Info for parents and carers Sept 2024 Click Here 
Principal Letter - Attendance Guidance September 2024 Click Here