Attendance
As a school are continually trying to improve our standards. It is widely recognised that regular attendance at school is a key factor in raising pupil attainment and for improving future life opportunities for young people.
Every three weeks we meet with our Attendance Officer, Diana Boulton to look at every child’s attendance and punctuality. We then notify parents and carers if a child’s overall attendance has fallen below 90% and/or if they are regularly arriving at school late for registration at 8:45am. Please note that ALL absences, authorised or unauthorised, (regardless of the reason provided) are counted towards the overall attendance figure.
Regular school attendance – why it’s so important
Going to school regularly is important to your child’s future. Children who miss school frequently fall behind with their work and do less well in exams.
Good attendance shows potential employers that your child is reliable. Research suggests that children who attend school regularly could also be at less risk of getting involved in antisocial behaviour or crime.
It might sound OK to say your child attends school 90% of the time. However, this effectively means they are missing half a day of school per week. Over one year, this equates to a child missing 4 weeks of school. During the course of their education, half a year of schooling would be lost.
If your child only attends 80% of the time, they are missing one day of school per week - eight weeks per year. During the course of their education, one whole year of schooling would be lost
Top 3 classes week commencing 6th February 2012
| Postion |
Class |
Percentage |
|
| 1st |
9 |
96.3% |
 |
| 2nd |
7 |
95.3% |
|
| 3rd |
15 |
94.7% |
|
Last week's bottom 3 classes were:-
| Class |
Percentage |
|
| F1 AM |
70.3% |
 |
| F2 Class 3 |
85.6% |
 |
| F1 PM |
87.6% |
 |
Only 3 classes reached the national norm this week hitting the magic 94% and above. That's very disappointing especially when we have been doing so well over recent weeks.
So come on lets start the next helf term with a "bang" and see who is the second class this year to reach 100%... and remember if you achieve 100% for yourself you will be added into the draw to win at bike at the end of the year!
Girls are still just winning with a percentage of 91.6% compared to the boys 91.5% So come on lads you're almost there...I think you could get to the top spot next week!
Although there are signs of improving weather conditions we advise you to be prepared in the event of snow or ice; have the right footwear, coats and so on to hand just in case there is a change.
Remember if you don't come to school not only are you letting yourself down and missing the chance of winning that bike but you are also letting your class down and the chance of an exciting FREE day trip to at the end of the summer term.
Most of all remember that we are here to help you and if you are having difficulties getting your child into school please contact the school and we will do what we can to support you.
Click HERE to view last week's attendance report.
School attendance and absence: the law
By law, all children of compulsory school age (five to 16) must receive a suitable full-time education. Once your child is registered at a school, you are legally responsible for making sure they attend regularly.
A child registered at a school can legally miss school only in very limited circumstances. These include:
- when the child is too ill to attend
- when the school has authorised the absence beforehand
If your child’s overall attendance falls below 90%, you will be contacted by school or the local authority. Local authorities have a duty to step in if they believe a child is not getting the education required by law. You may be visited by a member of the Education Welfare Service. They will talk to you about your child’s attendance problems. If your child fails to attend school regularly you risk getting a penalty notice or being prosecuted.
Preventing your child from missing school: what can you do
You can help prevent your child missing school by:
- making sure they understand the importance of good attendance and punctuality
- taking an interest in their education - ask about school work and encourage them to get involved in school activities
- discussing any problems they may have at school - inform their teacher or head teacher about anything serious
- not letting them take time off school for minor ailments - particularly those which would not prevent you from going to work
- arranging appointments and outings after school hours, at weekends or during school holidays will help to prevent disruption to your child’s education and to the school.
Under normal circumstances, you should not expect the school to agree to your child going on holiday during term time.
For more information regarding school attendance please speak to the admin staff at our main office who will make you an appointment to see our attendance officer or go online at: www.direct.gov.uk and click on ‘Parents’.