Good attendance and punctuality are vital for success at school, and to establish positive life habits that are necessary for future success.

Through regular attendance, pupils can:

• Build friendships and allow young people to feel part of a community
• Develop life skills and self-discipline
• Engage in learning and enjoy academic success
• Minimise the risk of engaging in anti-social behaviour or feeling isolated.

We should not underestimate the importance of excellent attendance and being punctual.

Even one day missed can have a negative effect on learning.

• Attendance above 96% gives your child the best chance of success for the future. 
• Attendance below 95% means your child has less chance of success. 
• Attendance below 90% means that they have limited chance of success and are very likely to fail or fall short of their target grades.
• Good attendance is a life skill required in all professional industries. 

Persistent Absence

Pupils with 90% or less attendance are classified as Persistent Absence (PA).  PA includes both authorised and unauthorised absences. 

All PA pupils will have action plans to try to improve their attendance to above 90%.  This will be monitored by the Phase Leaders, Office manager and Pastoral Director. 

Statutory Action.

There is a clear link between attainment and attendance. 

The Education Act 1996, Section 444(1) states:  

'If a child of compulsory school age who is a registered pupil at a school fails to attend regularly at the school, his parent is guilty of an offence.'

The school will therefore enforce the use of statutory action to encourage and promote school attendance.  This is done to encourage pupil attendance and to ensure that all pupils are able to benefit from their legal right to receive and education. 

Fast Track to attendance

FAST-Track to Attendance: An Early Help Process 

The school uses the FAST-Track process to support our families.  It is only utilised with pupils who are of compulsory school age.  Pupils with concerning levels of attendance, whether authorised or not, will be included on FAST-Track. 

FAST-Track is an Early Help approach to improving pupil attendance which also seeks to act quickly where there is unauthorised absence.  This process aligns the thresholds for taking legal action for ongoing unauthorised absence with the Leave in Term Time (Penalty Notice) process, and the Local Authority Code of Conduct. 

A Whole School Attendance letter will be sent out in September every year.  This will also be published on the school website.