Excellent attendance and punctuality at school is crucial to ensure that your child fulfils their potential and for them to have the best possible start in life. Our expectations for each child is to attend school every day, achieve 100% attendance and enjoy prosperous futures.
Evidence shows that a student’s progress and attainment is affected if their attendance falls below 90% and statistics show that if student’s miss just 17 days (34 sessions) of school, their GCSE attainment is likely to drop by an entire grade.
It is important that we help our young people to get into the good habits that they will need in the workplace. Excellent attendance and punctuality are essential in their future employment and we regularly receive requests from potential employers for references regarding attendance and punctuality.
GOV.UK – Working together to improve school attendance
Students who develop a poor pattern of attendance and punctuality will be monitored by the Attendance Team and you may be invited into school for a meeting. As a parent/carer, you are legally responsible for ensuring that your child attends school regularly and is punctual. If you fail to ensure this, you are committing an offence under the Education Act (1996) which may lead to a fine of up to £2500 and/or a prison sentence. If a student does not attend school or is not taking part in an approved educational activity, they are classed as ABSENTfrom school. This means that if your child is off school for any reason, even if they are ill or have medical permission tobe off school, they will be marked as ABSENT.
Families should avoid taking their child on holiday during the school term. These dates are published in advance. If a holiday cannot be avoided, a holiday form should be completed giving as much notice as possible. Unless the circumstances are exceptional we will not authorise holidays in term time. Please be aware that parents may be subject to a penalty notice if your child’s absence is unauthorised.
National Framework for Penalty Notice Fines
