Education tech innovator finds new home

A fast-growing education technology firm has relocated to a new headquarters, marking a significant milestone in its mission to improve pupil attendance across UK schools.

A Star Attendance, founded in 2018 by former local authority attendance officer Jill Robson, has moved to Houghton-le-Spring’s Evolve Business Centre, owned by Sunderland City Council’s business investment team.

And Jill says the relocation, which follows a successful year during which the company’s software was adopted by over 200 schools nationwide, will provide the “space to accommodate” further growth, while providing “the perfect” environment for the firm to prosper.

Amid UK absentee rates averaging 6.7 per cent during the 2023/2024 Autumn term, A Star Attendance has supported schools in reversing the trend by helping tackle absenteeism with a robust and transparent platform.

One North East secondary school reported a two per cent attendance increase since implementing the system, underlining the platform’s impact.

Jill added: “Our overall aim for A Star is to help schools more effectively monitor attendance, ensuring no child is forgotten and ensuring every child has an opportunity to receive the best possible education.

“The A Star System is the first and only intelligent monitoring solution that achieves this, offering a comprehensive solution to attendance monitoring, tracking, intervention and reporting.

“It manages every aspect of pupils’ attendance, without the need to produce endless reports and we’re delighted with how it has been received so far.

“This will not only help young people get more from their education, but it will also help teachers identify issues impacting on attendance at an early stage whilst building bridges with families.

“It could be a real game-changer in terms of helping us tackle the rising rates of absenteeism we’ve witnessed post-pandemic.”

The company’s growing reputation has attracted international interest from the UAE and USA, alongside its domestic expansion. And with the addition of experienced educator Melissa Warwick as operations manager, A Star Attendance is poised for further success.

Jill added: “The appointment of Melissa and the move to the new head office is incredibly exciting, especially when you look back at how far we’ve come.

“When I set up the business in 2018, it was just me, working from an office in a local school.

“Now we have our own office and a team of experts who are making a real difference to children’s lives across the UK.”

Cllr Kevin Johnston, cabinet member for housing, regeneration and business at Sunderland City Council, added: “Evolve is one of several business hubs set up by the Council to help provide a nurturing environment for companies to innovate and grow and this is yet another fantastic example of how they continue to do that.

“What A Star has achieved in such a short period of time is absolutely fantastic and we are delighted that the firm has chosen to move to Evolve as it looks to continue growing and expanding across the UK.”

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →