Pupil Absence

Facts:

Total School days= 190

Non-school days= 175

95% attendance= 9 days off school and 50 missed lessons.

The data also shows that in 2019, primary school children in Key Stage 2 who didn’t achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and maths missed on average four more days per school year than those whose performance exceeded the expected standard.  

Being in school is important to your child’s achievement, wellbeing, and wider development. Evidence shows that the students with the highest attendance throughout their time in school gain the best GCSE and A Level results. 

Parents have a legal duty to ensure that children of compulsory school age receive an appropriate education. The rules for registering absence of pupils are laid down by the DfE:

Why is school attendance so important and what are the risks of missing a day? - The Education Hub (blog.gov.uk) 

Any absence not notified has to be recorded as unauthorised. This can lead to enquiries from the Education Welfare Officer. Attendance is measured by the local authority and we, as a school, are keen to keep our attendance figure as high as we can.  Time off school for holidays or general activities will not be authorised and will be marked as unauthorised.  If you need to take your child out for exceptional circumstances, you will need to inform the school office and complete an absence request form (below).

We use a traffic light system to monitor attendance on the penultimate week of each of the six terms. Parents will receive a green (96%+), amber (90-95%) or red (89% or lower) letter with their child's attendance since the start of that September. Together, we aim to support families to achieve 96%+ attendance.

  Attendance Guidance Letter Sept 2024Attendance Policy 2024Absence Request Form 2024

Attendance information from GCC Example Parent traffic light attendance Letter 2024