The importance of regular school attendance
Regular attendance at school is vital to help children achieve and get the best possible start in life. Good attendance is an attendance rate of 96% and above. Below 90% is considered poor and is not acceptable.
Children who frequently miss school often fall behind. There is a strong link between good school attendance and achieving good results. For example, only 12% of pupils with below 80% school attendance achieve five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C including English and Maths, compared to 68% for pupils with attendance greater than 95%.
Good attendance at school shows potential employers that a young person is reliable. Young people who are frequently absent from school are more likely to become involved in, or be a victim of crime and anti-social behaviour.
Our Attendance Policy is below and we keep accurate records of pupil attendance. We will contact parents directly if we have any concerns about a child’s attendance. The Education Inclusion Service (EIS) at Northamptonshire County Council work with schools to ensure their children attend school regularly. If attendance is poor and does not show signs of improvement, a referral will be made to the EIS who will decide whether to prosecute or not.
Your responsibilities as a parent
All children aged between 5 and 16 are required by law to receive an education, and it is the duty of parents and carers to ensure that they are supported to do so.
Children sometimes have to miss school because of illness or if they have long term medical issues. If this is the case, parents should contact school the same day to let them know the reason that their child is not in school.
By law, all children of compulsory school age (normally five to 16) must receive a suitable full-time education. As a parent, you have a legal responsibility to make sure this happens – either by registering your child at a school or by making other arrangements to give them a suitable, full-time education. Once your child is registered at a school, you are legally responsible for making sure they attend regularly. This means your child should not have sessions of unauthorised absence.
Holidays in term time cannot be authorised. However, leave of absence may be authorised in exceptional circumstances. Please contact the school office for a request form.