Attendance and Absence Reporting
Statistics show that a pupil’s progress is directly linked to their attendance
Every year the research shows that the pupils who attend school every day and turn up on time make better progress than those who miss days or who regularly arrive late, regardless of intelligence or prior attainment. Attendance is the strongest predictor of future success, which is why we reward exceptional attendance and punctuality and become so concerned when any time is missed.
We expect every pupil to have a target of 100% attendance; however, sometimes things happen and a day or two during the year might have to be missed for some pupils. No pupil should expect to have attendance below 97% unless there are ongoing medical issues.
Pupils with 100% attendance will be recognised and rewarded through assemblies, certificates, and postcards or letters home.
Pupils must get into the habit of attending every single day. Missing just 1½ days in a half term will mean they can only achieve 95% attendance for that period. Pupils missing just 1½ days each half-term make significantly less progress compared to pupils with 100% attendance. If a pupil were to miss, on average, three days each half-term from Year 7 to Year 11 they will have missed half a year of school over the five years!
Q&A
What should I do if my child is too unwell to go to school?
On the rare occasion when your child is too unwell to come to school:
- Inform the school as early as possible on the morning of each absence
- Keep us informed of any serious developments or crises at home
- Send a note with your child on the day they return to school explaining the absence
- Continued problems with attendance could result in the involvement of the Education Welfare Service
What should my child do if they arrive to school late?
If your child arrives before 8:35am they must go directly to their Learning Group room to be registered as late by their Learning Coach. If they arrive after 8:35am they must sign in at reception.
Any pupil arriving after 8:20am will need to complete a ‘late form’ during morning break to explain why they were late and identify what they need to change to make sure they are not late again.
If a pupil fails to complete the form at break they will have an after-school Reparation Meeting that day, which could last up to one hour.
What if my child has a medical appointment?
If your child has a medical appointment during the day, they must bring a letter the day before the appointment (when possible). It will need to be signed by their Learning Coach and when leaving the site, they will need to sign out at reception. If they return later in the day they will need to sign in again at reception. Please make every effort to make dentist and doctor appointments outside of school hours whenever possible.
What happens if my child is not feeling well at school?
If a pupil doesn’t feel well, they must tell their teacher. We will assess the situation, and where possible, support them to stay in school. If we decide that they are unable to carry on with
their day at school, we will call the emergency contact number and ask for the pupil to be collected.
In the case of an emergency, we will call an ambulance and then telephone you.
What happens if I need to take my child out of school by requesting a leave of absence?
If you need to apply for authorised absence, please write to the Principal explaining the reason for what should be an unusual request. The Principal, with the authority of the Governing Body, may only approve a leave of absence during term time under ‘exceptional circumstances’. Examples of exceptional circumstances may include family funerals or weddings, or attendance at a sporting or artistic event.
Absence for holidays in term time is strongly discouraged and permission is unlikely to be granted. If permission is refused and your child is taken out of school, the absence will be unauthorised, and action may be taken by the school and/or local authority.
Medical issues
If your child needs to take prescription medication while at school, you must inform us as soon as possible. We will give details of how the medication should be brought to school and checked (signed) into reception, to be safely stored and administered at appropriate times.
Pupils must not carry any medication in school except inhalers and epi-pens.