Attendance

Regular attendance

Regular attendance at school promotes pupils’ well-being, maximises progress in learning and helps pupils reach their potential. The attendance pattern for all children is monitored weekly with the school seeking to work actively with parents to ensure a regular pattern is maintained. One of our basic principles is to celebrate success. Good attendance is fundamental to a successful and fulfilling school experience. It is our duty to promote 100% attendance for all children. For our children to take full advantage of the educational opportunities offered, it is vital that our pupils are at school, on time, every day the school is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable.

All children have the right to an education and we have put in place appropriate procedures to support this. We believe that the most important factor in promoting good attendance is development of positive attitudes towards school and learning.

Good attendance is important because:

statistics show a direct link between under-achievement and absence below 95%
regular attenders make better progress, both socially and academically
regular attenders find school routines, school work and friendships easier to cope with
regular attenders find learning more satisfying
regular attenders are most successful in transferring between primary school, secondary school, higher education and employment or training

The Governing Body and Head teacher, in partnership with parents have a duty to promote full attendance at school.

IMPACT OF ATTENDANCE ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

ATTENDANCE %	NUMBER OF DAYS LOST	IMPACT ON YOUR CHILD'S EDUCATION
100%	None Outstanding attendance Excellent work - well done!	*This gives you the best chance to achieve your potential as 78.7% of pupils with 100% attendance go on to achieve 5+ A - C GCSEs, including English and Maths.**
97% or above	Great Attendance Fewer than 6 days of absence in one academic year. Above the school attendance target - well done!
95 - 96.9%	Less than 10 days of absence. Your child is more likely to achieve their targets and will be well prepared as they move through the school.	*Statistics show that 69.2% of pupils in this attendance bracket go on to achieve 5+ A - C GCSEs, including English & Maths**
92 - 94.9%	Up to 15 days of absence. If your child's attendance is in this category, they will have had up to 3 weeks absence in the school year.	*According to statistics, only just over half (52.8%) of pupils in this category go on to achieve 5+ A - C GCSEs, including English and Maths**
90 - 91.9%	Your child will have had up to 19 days of absence (up to 3 weeks and 4 days). Pupils in this category may fall behind and it will be difficult for them to achieve their best.	*Attendance in this bracket is a major concern and should be addressed quickly. Only just over half (52.8%) of pupils in this category go on to achieve 5+ A - C GCSEs, including English and Maths**
< 90%	Persistently Absent Your child will have had more than 19 days absence (more than 3 weeks and 4 days) over the academic year. This is unsatisfactory attendance and the Local Attendance Officer/Local Authority may become involved.	Poor attendance - this is extremely worrying. *Of those pupils with below 90% attendance, only 35.6% are likely to go on to achieve 5 A - C GCSEs, including English and Maths.**

The Impact of Lateness

Minutes later per day	Equates to days of teaching lost in one year	Which means this number of lessons missed
5 minutes	3.5 days	17 lessons
10 minutes	7 days	35 lessons
15 minutes	10.5 days	52 lessons
20 minutes	14 days	70 lessons
30 minutes	21 days	104 lessons

Absence during term time

The law does not grant parents an automatic right to take their child out of school during term time. Permission must be sought in advance and must be for ‘exceptional circumstances’. Absence from school will only be authorised in exceptional circumstances. When deciding whether to allow term time leave, for any reason, the school will only consider:

the reason for the leave, including
if the absence is unavoidable,
and, beyond the control and/or decision making of parents;
the time and duration of the leave;
whether or not the leave could have been taken during the statutory school holiday periods;
child’s record of attendance;
learning that will be missed.

If the Head teacher refuses your request and the child is still taken out of school, this will be recorded as an unauthorised absence and may make you liable to a Fixed Penalty Notice fine.

Sickness absence

If your child is unwell you should telephone the school absence line on 01277 651897

If we have not received a message that your child is absent, a member of staff will telephone you to find out where your child is. This is for your child’s safety and to ensure that we know they are safe, so please be understanding if you receive a call from us.

If you are not sure how long your child should be absent from school due to illness, the document below will provide a guide for you.

Health Guidance

Attendance Policy