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A STAR ATTENDANCE SOLUTIONS

Testimonials

At A Star Attendance, the impact of our system is best told through the voices of those who use it every day. Schools across the UK have seen real improvements in attendance rates, streamlined admin processes, and stronger engagement with families thanks to our intuitive software and dedicated support team. These testimonials reflect not only the measurable results but also the time saved and pressure lifted from busy attendance and pastoral teams.

A Star Attendance is making a difference in schools every single day.

If you are considering a solution to strengthen and support the management of school attendance, I cannot recommend A Star Attendance highly enough.

 

The A Star system has been a genuine game‑changer for our school’s approach to attendance. It has enabled us to carry out detailed and meaningful analysis of attendance data, giving us insights we simply didn’t have before due to time‑consuming administrative demands. What makes A Star particularly powerful is that it goes beyond data management. The system has helped our entire staff, particularly the pastoral team, become more focused and proactive in improving attendance, supported by both the system itself and our attendance team.

A Star has significantly reduced the administrative burden associated with tracking and managing attendance, which has had a clear and positive impact on staff wellbeing. Instead of spending hours on manual processes, staff can now focus on targeted interventions and meaningful support for students and their parents and carers. This is where we have seen the greatest impact.

The results truly speak for themselves. In the first year of implementation, our school’s attendance improved by 3%. Attendance continued to rise in the second year and, having now used the system for several years, we have achieved an overall improvement of almost 7%. We have moved from being below national and regional averages across all categories to being above them. We have also seen significant improvements in our Ofsted outcomes, moving from ten years at ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’ and now achieving a strong standard for attendance and behaviour.

On top of this, the A Star support team is exceptional — always responsive, knowledgeable and ready to support us whenever we need guidance. If you are considering a solution to strengthen and support the management of school attendance, I cannot recommend A Star Attendance highly enough.

Ian Cooper Deputy Principal,
Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy, Gateshead

A star attendance solutions offer a crucial tool that underpins our strong attendance.

 

A Star Attendance provide a fantastic service which perfectly complements the strategies and approaches that we have in place as a school. As an organisation they provide the perfect blend of people focused strategies aimed at offering encouragement alongside clear, methodical approaches towards ensuring that no child slips through the net and every attendance concern is addressed. It also reduces administration time, with letters populated appropriately and quickly. They have been invaluable in helping to move our overall school attendance up by a whole percentage point and our persistent absence closer to 8%. If ever we have queries, nothing is too much trouble. A star attendance solutions offer a crucial tool that underpins our strong attendance.

Mark Cowan Attendance Lead,
Eagglescliffe School, Redcar & Cleveland

A Star Attendance has had a truly transformative impact at Moor End.

It has streamlined our attendance processes with impressive efficiency, reducing workload and giving us clearer, more accurate data than ever before. The contribution it has made to strengthening our overall attendance strategy has been exceptional.

Ben Howitt,
Assistant Principal, Moor End Academy

The training and CPD opportunities offered to our staff have been exceptionally useful and insightful.

The A Star Attendance system has been an invaluable asset in strengthening our schools’ approach to attendance management. It enables our Attendance Officers to take timely and well-informed action, directly supporting improvements in student attendance. By streamlining attendance tracking, data monitoring, and the administration of letters, the system allows our team to dedicate more time to working directly with parents and students and implementing meaningful interventions.

The platform continues to evolve, consistently incorporating user feedback and introducing new reports and features that enhance its effectiveness. Alongside an excellent system, the A Star team provides outstanding support and is always readily available when needed. The training and CPD opportunities offered to our staff have been exceptionally useful and insightful.

Faye Henderson,
Sunderland Cluster Attendance Lead for Laidlaw Schools Trust

A Star Attendance has transformed the way we manage attendance.

A Star Attendance has transformed the way we manage attendance. It brings all the information we need into one place, with clear chronologies of actions and interventions for every student. The system offers helpful prompts and suggestions, automates letter generation, and produces insightful reports for a wide range of stakeholders including parents, students, SLT and governors. Its intuitive design makes it incredibly easy to use, and features such as home visit suggestions and action logging are invaluable. The visual illustrations of attendance trends over time are particularly powerful. The support and service are outstanding – nothing is ever too much trouble, responses are always quick, and any technical issues are resolved promptly.

Daniel Snell, Assistant Head Teacher,
Q3 Academy Langley, Oldbury

 

An extremely helpful organisation, always on hand to answer questions

 

A Star Attendance has been invaluable in allowing us to upgrade our tracking and monitoring this year for student attendance. They have been an extremely helpful organisation, always on hand to answer questions, and have a number of tools designed to really support schools in driving their attendance forward. A Star has been brilliant in allowing us to really clearly see and analyse attendance data from a number of different angles. As of February 2026, our school attendance this year has improved by 4.5% and our Persistent Absence by 12%. Through the reports function and the live tracking, we are able to monitor and intervene earlier with our students in a succinct and visually clear format. I check A Star each day and it is simple to see the students across different stages and the actions that have already been taken. It is extremely easy to send out different types of letters, and this has allowed us to reduce administration time in the office. I would thoroughly recommend A Star for all schools.

Alex Gordon,
Assistant Principal, Nova Hreod Academy, Swindon

Partners who trust us

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Join schools across the UK transforming attendance and saving hours of valuable time every day. Book your personalised demo today and see how quickly you can drive improvement in your school.

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Book a FREE Demo

Join schools across the UK transforming attendance and saving hours of valuable time every day. Book your personalised demo today and see how quickly you can drive improvement in your school.

Request Demo

William Gooch

I'm a Software Developer from Sunderland, with an MSci Computer Science from the University of St Andrews. I've been programming from a very young age, and at A Star Attendance I'm really glad to focus that passion into something that has such a strong impact on young people's education.

As a newer member of the team, I really enjoy the learning experience, and bringing in a fresh perspective. It's been a great experience getting involved and gaining an understanding of attendance management.

In my spare time, you'll usually find me playing board games with friends and family, or working on a new crochet project.

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Hannah Hall

Hannah has had a career of over 20 years in Education, and specialises in behaviour, SEMH and SEND. However, her expertise and passion for whole School Improvement & sustainable change, means she also provides guidance & practical strategy on curriculum design, implementation, teaching & learning & parental partnership, ensuring accessibility and equity for all.

She works nationally and internationally supporting schools & colleges, local authorities and trusts in reviewing, implementing, and developing cultural change, policies, systems and provision.

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Luke Bowers

Luke is the CEO and Founder of The Excellence Hub, an Education Solutions company. Luke is a experienced former school leader and MAT executive leader and has a passion for creating a positive culture of attendance in all education establishments. He is renowned for his unwavering commitment to improving attendance and outcomes for children and young people. His extensive expertise spans all phases of education, where he has consistently demonstrated his ability to foster positive change and drive improvement.

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Ian Cooper, BA, MA, NPQH, NPQSL, MCCT

Ian Cooper is an experienced senior leader with a strong track record of driving school improvement in behaviour, attendance, and safeguarding. As Deputy Principal for Pastoral Care and Inclusion, Ian plays a pivotal role in strategically leading a positive and supportive school culture.

With previous roles including Assistant Principal for Behaviour, Attendance and Safeguarding, Head of Year, Assistant Head of Year and Teacher in Charge of Computer Science, Ian brings a wealth of practical leadership experience from both academic and pastoral perspectives. His leadership contributed significantly to his current school achieving a ‘Good’ rating from Ofsted after a decade of ‘Requires Improvement’.

Ian also successfully led the school through the introduction of the new Ofsted framework, becoming one of the first schools in the country to be inspected under the revised criteria. Under his leadership, the school achieved strong outcomes for attendance and behaviour, reflecting his commitment to high standards, inclusion, and student wellbeing.

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David Stimson, UKCP, ACSTH

David Stimson is a UKCP-registered therapist with expertise in trauma and attachment-focused therapy. As a Director of CATS, he works closely with families, schools, and social care to develop effective therapeutic interventions. In addition to his clinical work, David supports staff wellbeing initiatives, helping organisations create psychologically safe environments for their teams.

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Liliana Ghilardi, BAPT, BACP

Liliana Ghilardi is a BAPT and BACP-registered therapist specialising in Play Therapy, Filial Therapy and trauma-informed interventions for children and families. As a Director of CATS, she is committed to supporting individuals in processing early trauma and attachment disruptions. Liliana also plays a key role in staff wellbeing initiatives, ensuring professionals receive the support they need to work effectively in challenging environments.

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Ted

Meet Ted, our apprentice pup and newest team member! Under the watchful eye of his mentor, Milo, Ted is busy learning the tricks of the trade – from perfecting the art of the paw-shake to mastering the subtle science of snack-time diplomacy.

With boundless energy, endless curiosity, and a playful streak that keeps everyone smiling, Ted brings a spark of joy to the team. Whether he’s lending a paw during meetings, chasing new challenges (and the occasional tennis ball), or spreading good vibes wherever he goes, Ted reminds us all to stay curious, have fun, and never stop learning.

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Milo

I’m Milo, the lovable A Star Attendance dog and the official Head of Snuggles and Morale. I am known for my boundless energy and irresistible charm, and I am always ready to bring a smile to anyone’s face. When I’m not spreading positivity, you’ll find me enjoying long walks and happily chewing on my favourite toy, my antler horn.

I am a true connoisseur of treats, and I am particularly fond of cheese and chicken – I can smell it a mile off! I know I am an essential part of the team as they love to see my wagging tail and my joyful presence ensures that everyone feels supported and uplifted every day!

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Amy Ball

I have over 10 years of experience working in an infant school, starting as an EYFS teacher before progressing to Deputy Headteacher and later taking on the role of Attendance Lead. Throughout my career, I have been dedicated to supporting the development of young children and fostering a love for learning. My passion for early education is matched by my commitment to building positive, supportive relationships with families, understanding that collaboration is key to maximising children’s learning potential. As Attendance Lead, I focused on improving attendance rates, working closely with families to overcome barriers and ensure that every child had the opportunity to succeed. My experience in both teaching and leadership has provided a well-rounded understanding of how to support children, families, and schools in achieving the best outcomes.

I am now working with a dedicated team at A Star Attendance as Training Consultant to help schools implement the A Star Attendance System effectively and sharing strategies that improve attendance, to ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed and thrive in their education.

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Ann Joughin

I began my career in London, working in the fast-paced environment of an investment bank. After gaining valuable experience in the financial sector, I decided to make a significant career shift and moved to the Northeast, where I started working in childminding. This change allowed me to focus on nurturing young minds and providing care in a more personal setting. Later, I transitioned again, this time into the education sector, taking a role at a secondary school. My diverse career journey highlights my adaptability and dedication to personal growth, as I moved from the world of finance to childcare and then to education, each step building on my passion for helping others.

I dedicated 19 years to the education sector, taking on various roles that allowed me to impact the lives of students and staff. One of my key positions was as an Attendance Officer, where I worked tirelessly to ensure students were attending school and supporting families to overcome challenges. After my time in education, I transitioned to A Star Attendance, where I became Office Manager. Outside of my professional life, I am married and have one daughter. I also shares my home with Milo, my beloved dog. We enjoy long walks, which offer me a peaceful escape. With a deep passion for making a difference, I am always driven by the desire to create positive change, both in my career and personal life.

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Melissa Warwick

I come to A Star Attendance Solutions from a leadership background in Education having had over 9 years’ experience of working within the sector and strategically leading Whole School Attendance Improvement across two schools in Sunderland, North East England. Having previous senior leadership roles with responsibility for attendance and inclusion, I am passionate about improving attendance rates and implementing innovative approaches to improve outcomes for students, and know the impact attendance to school has on these outcomes. I have always been invested in Education and hold a BA Hons in Education and Music.

As a previous user of the A Star Attendance System, I know how impactful the system is for improving school attendance and I am thrilled to now be able to work nationally with schools, driving attendance improvement and reducing persistent absence.

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John Hall

I’m a Senior Developer with a strong focus on clarity, structure, and building maintainable, well-designed systems. After taking a step back from hands-on development for a period—gaining broader perspective across delivery and team dynamics—I’ve returned to my roots with a renewed focus on technical excellence.

I have a keen eye for organisation and readability, and I value clean code, clear naming, and well-structured solutions. I’m particularly interested in making complex systems easier to understand—whether through improved architecture, better documentation, or intuitive diagrams.

I’m detail-oriented and outcome-driven, always looking for ways to simplify complexity, improve code quality, and deliver robust, scalable solutions.

Outside of work, I enjoy hiking usually on my own and walks with my wife and our dog—usually along coast walks or on beaches. I’m a big sci-fi fan and enjoy watching anything in in this genre. I also grew up as part of the first generation of video gamers, which still influences my love of technology and gaming even these days. On the more creative side, I enjoy cosplay and producing items with my 3D printers.

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Jill Robson

Jill Robson is the Director of A Star Attendance Solutions. Up until six years ago she had worked for over twenty-two years for a local authority as an Attendance Officer, she decided to take a depth breath, leave her job and start A Star Attendance Solutions using her breadth of experience and skills.

Jill has always been passionate about school attendance as she believes that non- school attendance is just a symptom of further concerns, and that with early identification these issues are more likely to be resolved.

She decided to create The A Star System to support schools to manage their attendance in a transparent, fair and robust way, which hopefully means that no child’s non-attendance will go under the radar.  As a parent herself, Jill implicitly understand the importance of education and school attendance.

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