Attendance

 

As a school we have high expectations of our pupils in all areas of their education, ultimately in order for them to reach their full potential.

 

Because of the tight correlation between school attendance and academic performance and success, there is a growing expectation for schools from the DfE to monitor attendance closely, and to intervene when it falls to a level of concern.

Our pupils’ attendance here at Chancellor Park is monitored each and every day with more detailed reviews on a half-termly basis.

 

Academic Year 22/23 - Whole School Attendance

In 2022/23, last academic year, our overall Attendance was 95.1%.

 This was above the National Average of 92.7%

Of the 4.9% absence, 4.07% was authorised leave and 0.83% was for absences that were not authorised by the school i.e Unauthorised.

6.7% of our pupils last year were classed as ‘Persistently Absence’. This means these children had a 10% or more, absence rate. A small % of these were for genuine, authorised absences such as for medical reasons, however the vast majority were unauthorised and were as a result of leave in term time.

12 x penalty notices were issued last year.

The class with highest overall attendance was: Class 3 (96.47%)

There were 14 number of pupils who had 100% attendance all year.

 

Academic Year to date (Sept 23 - February half-term 24)  - Whole School Attendance

Overall Attendance: 95.87% (National 93.2%).

 Of the 4.13% absence, 3.54%  was Authorised leave and 0.59% was Unauthorised.

2 x penalty notices were issued for unauthorised holidays in term time last term.

Last term we issued 54 certificates to children in the school with 100%.

 

As a school we are required to set an annual Attendance target. Whilst we would ideally want all of our pupils to be in school every single day, and would love 100%, we are realistic and accept that children will on occasions be just too poorly for school.

 

In light of this, the Governing Body have set a challenging school Attendance Target for the school of 96.5% for this academic year 2023/24,

but with a floor level of no less than 96%. This means that it would be in-line which the DfE classification of ‘Good’ Attendance (96% upwards), and 96.5% would also mean that our school’s attendance we will be back in-line with the school’s average figures we were achieving prior to Covid.

 

I would like to emphasise that for the absolute vast majority of our families, school attendance is taken very seriously, and the commitment to ensuring your children are in school as much is possible is excellent. Of course there are going to be times when your child is just too poorly for school, and I would like to emphasise and reassure you that the expectation for a child to be in school is not for these occasions.

 

Where attendance becomes a concern, regular days are missed from school without supporting medical evidence, holidays in term time are taken or there becomes regular lateness or absence for minor ailments such as colds and coughs. 

 

Here at Chancellor Park we want to be transparent with the school’s Attendance picture with the hope that by continuing to work together with our parents we will see our whole school attendance continue to improve, which in turn will ultimately benefit the children.

 

So, why is it so important to attend school every day?

• Learning is a progressive activity; each day’s lessons build upon those of the previous day(s). If a child misses just 1 lesson, they are already playing catch up. School’s timetables are jam packed each week and there is sadly just not the time to re-cover what is missed in the same detail for individual pupils.
• Reading the material and completing work independently does not compensate for direct interaction with the teacher. Many classes use discussions, demonstrations, experiments and participation as part of the daily learning activities, and these cannot be made up or replicated by those who are absent.
• Children learn from mistakes and misconceptions lessons, not being in school means the teachers are unable to support them with these and/or assess their progress accurately.

Are there other benefits to my child? 

• Pupils with good attendance records generally achieve higher grades and enjoy school more.
• Children who attend regularly have a sense of belonging within a class. It supports with friendships and developing social skills which impacts positively on emotional well-being.
• Having a good education will help to give your child the best possible start in life.
• Regular school attendance patterns encourage the development of other responsible patterns of behaviour and sets good habits for later life in holding down jobs and responsibilities.

What are the risks of frequent absences?

• A child who does not attend school regularly will be unlikely to keep up with the work. The more a pupil misses school, the lower their academic attainment and progress is likely to be.
• The more a child misses, the harder they find it to keep up which can impact negatively on a child’s mental health.
• Children who miss school regularly can find social relationships with peers more challenging.

What can parents do to help?

• Parents must model the value of education, including the importance of regular attendance.
• Make sure that your child goes to school regularly and arrives/collected on time every day. You are in the position of establishing good habits that they will carry through life.
• Make sure your child understands that you do not approve of him/her missing school.
• If your child is ill or must miss school for some other reason, ensure you inform the school by email or phone. Keep the school updated with their recovery.
• Ensure that all family holidays are booked during school closure periods so that your child will not miss any learning.
• Take an interest in your child’s school work and be involved in the school as much as possible-your child will value school more if you do.
• If you are unsure whether your child is well enough to attend school, seek advice from either the NHS guidance: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/ or speak to us here in school for advice.
• Ensure that all routine doctors/dentist/optician appointments are booked after school or in school holidays.

What do we as a school do to help, promote and support good attendance?

• Continue to give attendance and punctuality a high priority;
• Seek to provide professional, quality information and advice, communicated frequently by telephone, email, leaflets, parents’ evenings, school reports and via the school attendance webpage on our school website.
• We have school staff with specific responsibilities to monitor and provide support, advice and guidance to families around attendance;
• Use attendance data systematically to evaluate success and to prioritise appropriate follow-up procedures.
• Continue to work with parents seeking support of outside agencies where appropriate to help with achieving regular attendance.
• Use rewards to celebrate good attendance.
• Work in partnership with the Education Welfare Service to improve attendance.
• Support pupils returning to school after significant periods of absence or those who require reduced timetables.
• The school has assigned a day in early December for parents to specifically take advantage of cheaper and less busy Christmas experiences.

 

What do our children say?

 

We randomly asked a selection of children throughout the school Why they thought school attendance was important. Please see below their results which even from our youngest pupils in the school show a mature and reassuring understanding of why coming to school regularly is so important!

 

“ So that we learn because if we don’t come to school we won’t know what we have to do” (Class R)

 

“We come  to school to learn, meet people and learn how to write to be able to get a good job and buy a house” (Class 3)

 

“It is important you get a good education” (Class 6)

 

“Because if you at school all week at the end you know you have achieved something” (Class 6)

 

“If you haven’t tried foods at home, it is good to try new things at school” (Class 2)

 

“We learn from our mistakes and our teachers help us with this” (Class 4)

 

“Because your future life depends on it to get a good job and live a nice life” (Class 5)

 

“So that we get to play with our friends and do work” (Class R)

 

“It is important wo that we can be educated and have fun while we are learning” (Class 4)

 

This one because it really made us smile...  “So that your parents can go to work to earn money and get us lovely toys!” (Class R)

 

Leave of Absence in Term Time

From 1^st September 2013, a change to government legislation means that schools are no longer allowed to authorise requests for children to be taken out of school for a holiday during term time.

Requests for leave can only be granted by schools if there are “exceptional circumstances” and holidays are not considered exceptional. Requests for leave must be made to the head teacher in advance using leave of absence forms as set out in our Attendance Policy.

A penalty notice is a fine to parents or carers if they fail to ensure that their child/ren attend school regularly.

Term dates are published at least an academic year ahead and can be found on the school website and school App. Please ensure that these are checked prior to booking any holidays, and also ensure these are shared with any other family members who may book a holiday on your behalf.