Attendance

For a child to reach their full educational achievement a high level of school attendance is essential.  We are committed to providing an education of the highest quality for all our pupils/ students and endeavour to provide an environment where all pupils feel valued and welcome. Parents and pupils play a part in making our school so successful. Every child has a right to access the education to which he/she is entitled. Parents and teachers share the responsibility for supporting and promoting excellent school attendance and punctuality for all.

It is our duty to consistently strive to achieve a goal of 100% attendance for all children. Every opportunity will be used to convey to pupils and their parents or carers the importance of regular and punctual attendance. For children to take full advantage of the educational opportunities offered it is vital your child is at school, on time, every day the school is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable. The routines children develop around attendance and punctuality at school are the same as the expectations of any future employer in the world of work.  High attainment, confidence with peers and staff and future aspirations depend on good attendance.

Good attendance is important because:

• Statistics show a direct link between under-achievement and absence below 95%

• Regular attenders make better progress, both socially and academically

• Regular attenders find school routines, school work and friendships easier to cope with

• Regular attenders find learning more satisfying

• Regular attenders are more successful in transferring between primary school, secondary school, and higher education, employment or training

Please read Government Guidance on absence from school by following the link below:

Government Guidance on school attendance

If you wish to inform us of your child’s absence from school for sickness please call 02380 254155 and press option 1.

If you require a longer absence from school, please complete the form below and return to the school office.  Schools are only able to authorise absence from school in exceptional circumstances. In making a request for an authorised absence from school you will need to explain why the circumstances are exceptional. Please note there is no general right to authorise absence for a family holiday and if you take your child out of school without permission the absence will be unauthorised and we may refer the matter for consideration of legal action.