Attendance

It is essential that children and young people form good habits of regular attendance at school from an early age and that good attendance is maintained throughout their school career. It is a legal requirement that all children should attend their educational provision and it is the parent/carer's responsibility to ensure that their children attend school every day that it is open.

We most strongly advise that you do not take pupils out of school for holidays in term time. There are only 190 statutory school days, which leaves 175 days for holidays and there must be exceptional reasons for a pupil to be authorised as absent from school. The school is obliged to operate under Dorset Council Attendance Policy. There are a small number of allowable circumstances which need to be authorised by the Headteacher prior to the absence.

Why good attendance is important

In recent years, much research has been carried out on the effects that poor attendance can have on children’s progress at school and how well they achieve in life. Taking pupils out of school in term time means that they miss out on crucial learning and it puts pressure on them to catch up. Statistical evidence shows that reduced attendance correlates with lower grades in national tests and examinations.

The following statistics may surprise you: 1 day off a fortnight = 90% attendance

Now 90% attendance might sound quite good, but what it really means is:

Your child is absent for lessons for the equivalent of one-half day every week
In one year, 4 whole weeks of lessons are missed
Continued attendance at 90% over 5 years means your child has missed half a school year.

The following are some of the problems which often result from poor attendance:

Your child has difficulty in keeping up with his or her work
Teachers may not find it possible to give the extra time needed to help your child catch up.
Your child’s absence can disrupt the learning of others in the class
Your child misses a critical early stage in learning, without which further development of knowledge and skill is severely hindered.

Very Good	100	100 % Attendance = No learning missed = You have given your child the best chance of success.
	99
	98
Good	97
Good	96
Needs improving	95	95% Attendance... means your child misses = Half a day of learning every fortnight = 2 weeks of school in a year = 2 terms and 1 half term over the whole of their education (228 days missed))
	94
	93
	92
	91
Poor	90	90% Attendance... means your child misses = Half a day of learning every week = 4 weeks of school in a year = 1 whole school year + 1 half term over the whole of their education (456 days missed)
	89
	88
	87
	86
	85	85% Attendance ... means your child misses = 1 and a half days of learning every fortnight = 6 weeks of school in a year = 1 whole school year+ 5 half terms over the whole of their education (684 days missed)
	84
	83
	82
	81
Unacceptable	80	80% Attendance... means your child misses = 1 day of learning every week = 8 weeks of school in a year = 2 whole school years + 1 half term over the whole of their education (912 days missed)
	79
	78
	77
	76
	75
	74
	73
	72
	71
	Below 70

Attendance counts!

Make sure your child is given the best opportunities for success by sending them to school on time EVERY DAY.

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