Attendance Matters
It is inevitable that children will get ill at times while they are at school. However, we must find ways to minimise this and lessen its impact on their learning. Regular and punctual attendance at school is very important. Only pupils who attend school consistently can fully benefit from the educational opportunities available to them.
What is good attendance? All pupils should aim for an attendance rate of at least 96%. If attendance falls to 90%, the Department of Education classifies your child as 'Persistently Absent'. A 90% attendance rate means your child is missing the following:
- One half-day each week
- Four full weeks of lessons during the school year
- Half a school year during Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4
|
If your attendance over the school year is |
You will miss this many days |
And this many lessons |
|
95% |
10 |
50 |
|
90% |
19 |
95 |
|
85% |
29 |
145 |
|
80% |
39 |
195 |
|
75% |
49 |
245 |
|
70% |
58 |
290 |
As well as attendance, punctuality to school is important. Being late for school has a significant impact over an academic year as shown in the table below:
|
Minutes late per day |
School days lost |
Lessons lost |
|
5 |
3.4 |
17 |
|
10 |
6.9 |
35 |
|
15 |
10.3 |
51 |
|
20 |
13.8 |
69 |
|
30 |
20.7 |
104 |
Research shows that children who miss this much school are likely to drop at least one GCSE grade. A 1% improvement in attendance can lead to a 5% improvement in achievement.
Please see DfE documentation below.
If you have any worries about your child's attendance, please contact the Head of Year.
Leave of absence is only granted in special cases. If you would like a Leave of Absence form, please click here.