Is my child too ill for school?
We understand that it can be difficult to determine whether a child is well enough for school. Please see this link to the NHS website for support and information concerning making this decision.
Why is attendance important?
For our 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.
Please see here for our full attendance policy, including the threshold and procedure for Penalty Notices.
This chart indicates the impact of non-attendance on a child’s education in terms of lessons missed.
% attendance | Days attended | This equates to
School days lost in
a year, out of a
possible 194 days | Lessons missed in
a year | Days lost over 7
years |
100 | 194 | zero | zero | zero |
99 | 192 | 2 | 8 | 14 |
97 | 188 | 6 | 24 | 42 |
94 | 182 | 12 | 48 | 84 |
90 | 175 | 19 | 76 | 133 |
<90 | <175 | 20+ | 80+ | 140+ |
DfE research
• 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, schoolwork 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
• Regular attendance makes safeguarding more effective
DfE research report