Attendance Guide for Parents

Parents will receive regular updates on attendance from school and the Principal and all the staff monitor attendance daily, weekly, half termly and termly. Children are rewarded in school for excellent attendance and they are very clear about why excellent attendance is important.

Why is regular school attendance so important for my child?

Regular attendance at school means that your child can make the most of their education and improve their chances in adult life.

School can also help your child’s social skills such as making and developing friendships. A regular and punctual attendance pattern will help your child when they go to secondary school and later enter the world of work.

The link between attendance and attainment in school is clear.

The more a pupil is in school the more they increase their opportunity to fulfil their potential.

Punctuality

Schools are legally required to take a register of pupils first thing in the morning and at some point in the afternoon.

If a pupil is late but the register is still open they are marked as late. If the register has already closed when a pupil arrives late and without a satisfactory explanation, it will be classed as late after the register has closed which will count as an absence. Our registers close at 9:30am.

Continual punctuality is important because if, for example, a child arrives 15 minutes late at school each day, they lose almost 2 weeks of education a year! Absence due to lateness (after 9:30am) will be referred to the Education Welfare Officer.

Holidays during term time

No term time leave for holidays is routinely authorised at Yew Tree.

Parents who choose to take their child out of school without written permission from the school may be issued with a fixed penalty fine.

Only in exceptional circumstances may the Principal grant permission for leave.

How can I help my child attend school regularly?

• Talk to your child about school
• Take a positive interest in your child’s work, including homework . Follow what your child’s class learns on their class page on the school website, Facebook and Twitter.
• Use the apps and sites we have available to help your child learn .
• Keep in touch with school staff
• Contact school on the first day of absence if your child is unable to attend for whatever reason
• Attend parents’ evenings and other school events

What should I do if I’m worried about my child’s school attendance?

The first thing to do is to contact the school to discuss your concerns.

What are my responsibilities regarding my child’s school attendance?

As a parent/carer it is your responsibility to ensure that any child of compulsory school age attends school both regularly and on time. The local authority has a duty to make sure that all parents/carers fulfil this responsibility.

What will happen if my child does not attend school regularly?

The school should contact you in the first instance to raise concerns about your child’s attendance. If they see no improvement, or there are particular difficulties involved, a referral will be made to the Education Welfare Service.

What if my child’s school attendance does not improve?

Parents whose children are on a school register and fail to ensure the regular and punctual attendance of their child(ren), may be guilty of an offence under Section 444 or 444(1A) of the Education Act 1996 and the Local Authority may issue a Penalty Notice or take enforcement action through the Courts to secure regular attendance.

How will regular school attendance help my child?

School gives your child a wide range of opportunities and experiences in the form of academic lessons, educational trips and school clubs allowing them to develop their interests and achieve their full potential. Regular school attendance means that your child can make the most of their education.

Less than 95% attendance every year in school equals a 1 grade difference across ALL GCSE grades. Therefore, Yew Tree Academy has a minimum target of 96% attendance for every pupil. 

Excellent attendance and punctuality are essential for future employment, where an absence rate of 5% or above would be considered a cause for concern.

If a pupil does not attend school or is not taking part in an approved educational activity, they are classed as ABSENT from school. This means that if your child is off school for any reason, even if they are ill or have medical permission to be off school, they will be marked as ABSENT.

100% attendance is 190 days in school.

8 days of absence is 96%.

12 days of absence is 94%.

19 days absence is 90%.

29 days absence is 85%.

38 days absence is 80%.

47 days absence is 75%.

Please note: Even if an absence is authorised, percentage attendance is still affected.

We ask parents/carers not to keep their child off school unless the absence is absolutely unavoidable. 

Please make any non-emergency doctor, dentist, optician or other appointments outside of the school day.

It is soon going to be that time of year (if not already) where coughs and colds are on the increase. We understand that when feeling under the weather, staying at home can feel like the best form of recovery but as the NHS says,

“not every illness needs to keep your child from school.”

Here are the recommendations from the Public Health Agency for common illness that often, but not always necessary, result in absences from school;

Best Advice – If your child does not need immediate medical attention, bring them into school. Should your child be ill and off school then please seek medical attention and provide school with a medical note from the GP.