A Guest Blog from Olly Jefferies – Headteacher.
USJ is a small primary school in the heart of a coastal town. Half of our families are in receipt of the Pupil Premium grant, 54% of pupils are on the SEND register, and 6% have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Each of these figures is well above the national average.
Although the town’s population is predominantly White British (92%), USJ reflects a much more diverse community. Today, 32% of our pupils come from ethnic backgrounds other than White British, and we are proud to welcome families from across the world.
When I joined the school, attendance was a significant concern. Whole-school attendance stood at just 89%, with even lower figures for disadvantaged and SEND pupils. Staff turnover was high, and children often didn’t know whether their teacher would return after the holidays. The first step was to recruit strong, committed teachers and create a consistent environment where pupils felt safe. The school already had a clear vision and set of values, which resonated with me. My role wasn’t to start again but to build on this foundation and move forward together.
Relationships were at the heart of our approach. Influenced by Paul Dix’s work on “deliberate botheredness,” I made it my mission to know something meaningful about every one of our 100 pupils and their families. I wasn’t interested in sitting in an office—I wanted to be present in classrooms, supporting staff and connecting with children. Within six weeks, we moved from pupils frequently outside of lessons to a ‘Good’ Ofsted judgement for behaviour. It was progress, but we knew we weren’t finished.
Listening to pupil voice was key. Our behaviour policy relied heavily on Dojo points, which children told us felt meaningless and unfair. Together with the school council, we created the “Dojo Shop,” giving pupils the chance to spend their points on prizes. We made clear how points were earned and what was expected of everyone. Attendance quickly improved as a result: “You have to be in it to win it” became more than just a catchphrase—it motivated children to be in school every day.
We also invested in specialist support. Using Pupil Premium funding, we employed a part time member of staff to focus on attendance. In just one year, disadvantaged pupils’ attendance rose to above that of their peers. They manage the operational side of attendance, which frees me to focus on making school “unmissable”—a place children want to come to.
Another turning point came from discussions our Local Authority attendance officer. Following our summer term meeting, we introduced music across the school day. We purchased a music streaming service, and using grant funding, Alexa devices for classrooms, and outdoor speakers. Now, upbeat music plays at drop-off, pick-up, break, and lunchtime. The results have been remarkable: behaviour incidents at unstructured times have almost disappeared, teachers report better focus at the start of lessons, and parents consistently describe drop-off as a more positive experience. For some children who struggle to attend, being “School DJ” has become a powerful motivator—they have to be here to do it.
The impact has been transformative. When I arrived, USJ was at the bottom of the our MAT attendance statistics. By the end of my first year, we had risen to 93%—still the lowest, but with the biggest improvement of any school in the trust. Our next aim is to meet the national average, and then to lead the trust. For us, it comes down to belonging, consistency, and deliberate botheredness.
Today, attendance at USJ is 98.5%—a rise of 9.5 percentage points since we began this journey. Children are in class, learning every day. Our SEND pupils are receiving the support they need, our teachers are growing in their practice, and families know that staff genuinely care.
The journey isn’t over—far from it. But USJ is now a school where children want to belong, where staff choose to stay, and where every small win adds up to something extraordinary. As I remind my team: Rome wasn’t built in a day, but brick by brick, we are building something that lasts.
Olly is the headteacher of a small, urban coastal primary school serving a mixed demographic of students. His work on leading a positive culture, that serves to drive up attendance and standards, is resonating across the trust
The Belonging Collective 