Attendance

School target attendance percentage for each child is a minimum of 96.5%. Where pupils fall below this % the school has a legal responsibility to take further action which can result in referral to the Educational Welfare Officer, the Police or Local Authority Penalty Fines being issued.

Your child’s attendance percentage falls below 90% the school attendance team will monitor the reasons for this and take the appropriate action. You will be asked to attend a panel meeting with the attendance panel to discuss this further and may have to agree an attendance contract. Should your child’s attendance fall below falls between 90% and 96.5% your child will be marked as a concern and the appropriate action taken.

Good attendance is strongly associated with higher attainment, both at primary and secondary levels. Pupils who miss school are at increased risk of falling behind and becoming disengaged, leading in some cases to further absence and resulting all too often in poor progress and unfulfilled potential which continues throughout their educational life and beyond.

A press release issued by The Department for Education on 22 February 2015 highlights the finding that primary-school pupils missing up to just 14 days of school in KS2 (over years 3,4,5 & 6) are a quarter less likely to achieve level 5 or above in reading, writing or maths tests than those with no absence. Studies have found that KS2 pupils who have difficulties with learning, become disengaged or lack educational confidence and/or achievement can attribute them to absences in learning in KS1 where the foundations of all learning are set.

Lateness can also impact on a child’s wellbeing and their learning achievements and have a negative impact on their school life. A child who is late to class will often have trouble settling in and find the disruption to routine and learning stressful. This will also disrupt the other children from learning in the class which can have an impact on building friendships and peer interactions.