Attendance

Every day of education and indeed every lesson matters. In the National Curriculum where there is built in progression, children who are persistently late or absent soon get behind with learning and then do not understand current lessons when they return.

The introduction to a lesson and to the school day is crucial to the child’s understanding of their own learning. Children who miss school frequently will undoubtedly have gaps in their learning which will impede their progress and future ability to engage in lessons. This in turn has a knock on effect for their ability to concentrate and for their behaviour.

Frequent absence has a profound and cumulative effect on achievement.

Research has shown that pupils with a history of persistent or severe absenteeism are less likely to pass at least 5 GCSEs, including English and maths, compared to their peers who were rarely absent in both years.

78% of pupils who were rarely absent in both years passed at least 5 GCSEs, including English and maths, in 2022. By comparison, only 36% of pupils, just over a third, who were persistently absent in both years also passed at least 5 GCSEs, including English and maths.

Just one in twenty pupils who were severely absent in both years passed at least 5 GCSEs including English and maths. Almost all pupils who were severely absent in both Year 10 and Year 11 did not reach this standard (95%).

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Students should only be off school for the most exceptional of circumstances. On the rare occasion you need to report your child's absence, please use the following process.

Phone 01424 439888 before 8am of the morning of absence and choose:

• option 1 for Helenswood Campus Attendance or
• option 2 for William Parker Campus Attendance