Attendance Guidance
Regular attendance at school is very important. Below is some guidance which should help improve attendance and communication with your child’s school. This will ensure your child’s attendance is recorded accurately.
The Education Act 1996 states: “If any child of compulsory school age, who is a registered pupil at a school, fails to attend regularly, the parents of the child shall be guilty of an offence.”
- Your child should attend school every day and on time.
- You should contact the school on each and every day of an absence.
- You should make every effort to get your child to school even if they are feeling unwell. The school will always contact you if the child’s health deteriorates.
- Make sure the school have the correct contact details especially if there is an emergency.
- Don’t be offended if the school contact you. It is for the safety and welfare of your child.
- If you do have issues that prevent your child from attending, discuss these issues as soon as possible with the school. Do not leave it. Contact the school and ask for an appointment to talk about the problems.
- If your child has any health issues please make sure the school are aware and if appropriate make arrangements to supply the school with for example asthma pumps and Epipen’s etc.
- You should not take your child out of school for a holiday during term time. If you feel you need to take leave during term time you must put your request to the Head teacher in writing. It is the Governing Body who has the discretion to authorise the absence, if they feel there are exceptional circumstances to justify this. Each request is considered on an individual basis. If the leave you requested is refused and you go ahead with the holiday the school may request a fine is issued by way of a Penalty Notice.
- There is no doubt that attendance and achievement go hand in hand. Your child’s attendance is their future.
- Should your child’s unauthorised absence remain high, after all possible intervention, legal proceedings will be considered.
Days off school add up to lost learning
365 DAYS IN EACH YEAR | 175 NON SCHOOL DAYS A YEAR | → | 175 days to spend on family time, visits, holidays, shopping, household jobs and other appointments | ||||
190SCHOOL DAYS INEACH YEAR 190 days for your child's education | 5 days absence |
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185 DAYSOF EDUCATION | 10 days absence | 29 days absence (5 weeks 4 days) Half a term missed |
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180 DAYS OF EDUCATION |
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161 DAYS OF EDUCATION | 38 days absence (7 weeks 3 days) |
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152 DAYS OF EDUCATION | 47 days absence (9 weeks 2 days) | ||||||
143 DAYS OF EDUCATION | |||||||
100% | 97% | 95% | 85% | 80% | 75% | ||
GOOD | WORRYING | SERIOUS CONCERN | |||||
Best chance of success | Less chance of success | Not fair on your child | |||||
Gets your child off to a flying start | Makes it harder to make progress | Court action! | | ||||
Being late adds up to a loss of learning
- If you are 5 minutes late every day that adds up to over 3 days lost each year.
- 15minutes late is the same as being absent for 2 weeks a year.