Hundreds of school pupils are being recognised for their excellent attendance and behaviour at a huge celebration in Nottingham.

Games, activities, music and performances are being held at The Lord Mayor’s Awards for Schools on Thursday 9 July. Primary and secondary schools were asked to nominate two pupils as ‘ambassadors’ to attend the event at the Britannia Hotel in Nottingham. These ‘Golden Ticket’ holders will attend the after-school party with their parents and teachers.

All pupils who attend receive a special certificate and a photo with the Lord Mayor of Nottingham, Cllr Jackie Morris. Music and pupil performances are being provided by the Nottingham Music Hub.

This is the second year the awards have been held to reward good attendance – and this year also recognise pupils with good behaviour.

Cllr Sam Webster, Portfolio Holder for Schools, said: “It’s important that we recognise and reward good attendance and behaviour in our schools. By holding the Lord Mayor’s Awards, the City Council has an opportunity to say thank you to those pupils who have worked hard to be in school every day.

“We know that our different approaches to attendance are working – we get tough when it’s needed, but we also take time to show our pupils how proud we are of their achievements. Every child who attends our Awards is a winner.

“Nottingham was the most improved local authority in attendance in the latest figures from the Department for Education. It’s important that we continue to build on this momentum.”

The awards are part of a wider drive by the City Council to work with schools to improve attendance in Nottingham. The City Council launched its school attendance campaign in June with a zero tolerance approach to parents whose children are persistently absent from school, including a week of action emphasising the penalties and fines faced for non-attendance.

Statistics published by the Department of Education in May 2015 show Nottingham is now ranked 109th nationally for overall attendance out of 152 local authorities – up from 150th in 2013. Nottingham is the most improved Local Authority area in England.