Why is school attendance important?

Ensuring your child has the highest possible attendance at school is naturally high on our agenda. Do we always consider why? Clearly there are times when we all fall ill and can’t make it to work/school – however our aim is for all pupils to have an attendance rate above 95% for the entire year. The reason for this is that ultimately, the higher a child’s attendance, the greater the chance that they will improve their attainment and progress in lessons. The table below can help highlight this:

There are 190 school days in which pupils are expected to attend school

To take this further, if a child has an attendance rate of 90% from Y7-Y11, they will have missed nearly half a year of their education – this could have a huge impact on their outcomes!

If you have any concerns or queries about your child’s attendance, please do contact the school and we will be happy to try and support you further.

If your child is unwell and not coming to school please use:

 

Primary - Studybugs or calling 01234 303403

Secondary - Class Charts or calling 01234 303403

Please report your child’s absence before 9am on the day of the absence and each subsequent day of absence (unless agreed otherwise), and advise when they are expected to return.

If possible would you please try to arrange any medical/dental appointments for the school holidays or out-of-school hours.

Important – please note:

The DFE has made amendments to the 2006 regulations on absences in term time. The new amendments remove references to family holiday and extended leave as well as the statutory threshold of ten school days.

The regulations now make clear that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. If the Headteacher determines that there are exceptional circumstances then the Headteacher will determine the number of school days a child can be away from school.

Any application for absence in term time should be made before booking a holiday and at least 4 weeks before the date required on the form provided by the school and clearly indicating if siblings attend other schools in the Borough. Schools will contact each other for a consistent response where siblings are involved. You may be asked to attend a meeting to discuss this request with the Head Teacher or other senior member of staff, and/or produce supporting evidence for your request.

Applications made by parents/carers of pupils whose attendance at the time of applying is below the school’s attendance target will usually be refused.

If a holiday request is not authorised and the holiday is still taken the school will inform the Education Welfare Officer and this may lead to the issuing of a Penalty Notice by them. The Penalty Notice is £50 if paid within 28 days or £100 if paid after the 28 days but before 42 days (per parent, per child). If the parent/carer does not pay the Penalty Notice it may lead to a prosecution.