Introduction
Regular attendance at school is critical to ensuring that students achieve to their maximum potential. The school constantly monitor students’ attendance levels, and those who fall below the thresholds recommended below will be contacted in an effort to improve.
The Law
- Attendance at school is required by law.
- Parents/carers are legally responsible for ensuring that students attend school on time every day during term time.
Attendance Thresholds
- 100% attendance is expected.
- Students are expected to attend school every day unless there is a genuine medical or other reason for absence.
- 95% attendance is considered satisfactory See the diagram below for a breakdown of the impact of absence on your son/ward’s attendance percentage and the impact on his learning and progress.
- Below 95% attendance will lead to an intervention which from our school Education Welfare and Attendance Manager.
- Any persistent absence or unauthorised absence will lead to intervention from the local authority. Such intervention may include a fixed penalty fine, an appearance at the ‘Attendance Panel’, court proceedings and prosecution.
Basic Expectations & Procedures
- Students are expected to be on time every day and in school by 8.25am each morning.
- Students who arrive after 8.40am must sign in at the Welfare & Attendance Office before going to any lesson.
- We will notify you by email if your son/ward signs into school after 8.40am to allow you to monitor his punctuality./li>
- All medical appointments – doctors/opticians/dentists or similar – should be made outside of the school day wherever possible.
- If students need to leave the school during the day for an appointment, they must show the Education Welfare & Attendance Manager a letter or appointment card to obtain a signing out slip. It is, however, expected that this will only be required in exceptional circumstances.
How to Report School Absence
- If students are ill or unable to attend school, a parent/carer should inform the Education Welfare & Attendance Manager on the first day of absence.
- Absence can be reported by:
- Completing the online form on the ParentApp. This is our preferred method for reporting absence.
- Calling the main school phone number 020885685791 and choosing option 2 ‘Attendance’.
Holidays/Term Time Leave
Holidays should not be taken during term time. Doing so may mean losing your place at school. If you have a request for term-time leave, you must put this in writing to the Co-Headteachers. In most cases, as per the Department of Education guidance, this will be recorded as an unauthorised absence.
What is Excellent Attendance? - Impact of Absence Grid
The maximum attendance a student can achieve in a school year is 190 school days. This is usually recorded as two sessions per day.
If you are viewing this on mobile, scroll across to see the full table.
| Attendance Threshold | Descriptor | Days of attendance | No. of whole days absent | Learning hours lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% | Excellent | 190 Days | 0 | 0 |
| 99% | Good | 188 Days | 2 | 10 |
| 98% | 186 Days | 4 | 20 | |
| 97% | Satisfactory | 184 Days | 6 | 30 |
| 96% | 182.5 Days | 7.5 | 37.5 | |
| 95% | 180.5 Days | 9.5 | 47.5 | |
| 90% | Cause For Concern | 171 Days | 19 | 95 |
| 89% | Unsatisfactory | 169 Days | 21 | 105 |
| 88% | 167 Days | 23 | 115 | |
| 87% | 165 Days | 25 | 125 | |
| 86% | 163 Days | 27 | 135 | |
| 85% | Serious Cause For Concern | 161.5 Days | 28.5 | 142.5 |
| 84% | Critical | 159.5 Days | 30.5 | 152.5 |
| 83% | 158 Days | 32 | 160 | |
| 82% | 156 Days | 34 | 170 | |
| 81% | 154 Days | 36 | 180 | |
| 80% | 152 Days | 38 | 190 |
80% sounds high, but for attendance it is critically low.
- 80% over a week is missing 1 day a week.
- 80% over a year is missing 38 days of school.
- 80% over Years 7-11 is equal to missing a whole year of school.