Attendance / Absence

Good attendance and punctuality start at primary school where the foundations of learning skills and knowledge are developed and pupils’ own attitudes towards the importance of school are acquired.

• If your child has 90% attendance, it means that they were absent from lessons for the equivalent of one half day every week.
• 90% attendance over 5 years means a child has missed nearly one half of a school year.
• 90% attendance means your child has missed the equivalent of 4 whole weeks of lessons in the school year.
• 10 minutes late every day is 6 and a half days lost in a school year.

Click here to view Government guidance on School Attendance and Absence.

Penalty Notice Fines for School Attendance are changing from 19th August 2024 - see attached document for full information. 

Thank you for your ongoing support in ensuring your children attend school regularly and on time.  The DfE have issued additional guidance and this will affect how we communicate with you about your child's attendance.  The bands (below) from the DfE guide us in when to alert you if your children's attendance begins to drop. The alerts begin at 95%.  We will let you know at this point that their attendance is not at the expected level.  

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.   This journey begins in primary school.  We are here to support if you are struggling in any way with school attendance.

Additional information regarding attendance can be found attached below.