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ATTENDANCE
Good attendance has a direct relationship with effective learning and good academic progress.
Research shows that the higher the attendance of a student, the higher their GCSE grades are at the end of Year 11. Attendance above 95% every year in School equals one grade difference across all GCSE grades and increases the chances of students achieving a grade 4 or higher in English and Maths.
We expect all our learners to aim for 100% attendance as we know that learners with high aspiration and attendance go on to achieve better outcomes and live healthier, wealthier, and more enriched lives.
Students with less than 95% attendance are less likely to achieve those important GCSE grades. Additionally, setting high expectations is also useful preparation for each student's life beyond school and the important skill of reliability which all settings require.
By having attendance on or above 97% as well as meeting other school expectations, your child will qualify for a range of rewards during each half term. This will include, but is not limited to; individual/ group/year group rewards and each term, there will be an opportunity to qualify for an attendance reward activity.
If a learner 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 are classed as ABSENT, Missing lessons leaves students vulnerable to falling behind, creating gaps in their learning and lowering their self-confidence.
** Please note that if an absence is authorised attendance % is still affected.
How can you help?
We ask for the support of our parents/carers in supporting good attendance by:
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Promote positive and healthy attendance patterns with your child and set good bedtime and morning routines.
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Ensure your child attends every day, on time and equipped and ready to learn.
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Ensure school has at least 3 up to date addresses and contact numbers.
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Contact School on the first day of absence by 08.30am to provide a reason for absence.
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Contact the school each day of absence until your child returns.
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If contact is not made the absence will be recorded as unauthorised. The school is responsible for deciding if the absence is acceptable or not.
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Provide medical evidence for any absence exceeding 5 days (10 sessions) or more.
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Ensure medical appointments are made outside of school time. If this is not possible, your child needs to be in school prior to and after the appointment. We will need medical evidence upon their return.
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Holiday requests during term time will not be authorised due to the significant impact on progress. Parents/carers who take their children out of school for a holiday may be issued with a Penalty Notice.
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Contact school if you are experiencing difficulty getting your child to attend school.
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Work with the school and any other agencies of support to resolve any difficulties which may affect regular school attendance.
Request leave of absence in term time for exceptional circumstance by following the School Student Leave of Absence In Term Time Policy
Where absence is unavoidable, the School is very happy to ensure that work is provided so that our student's do not fall behind in their progress.
What is classed as persistent absence?
Persistent Absence is classed as any absence that equates to over 10% of the academic year at any given time. Any learner who appears on the persistent absence list may be monitored by Halton School Attendance Services. The thresholds are set out below:
Please note that 90% on a test is seen as a positive achievement however in attendance terms anything less than 90% is a serious concern. We should be striving for 100% attendance each year.
School Support System
We need to work collaboratively with students, home and local partners to promote and support positive attendance. We will work with all partners to:
CATCH UP TIME
Student ‘Catch up’ takes place at the end of the day as an immediate consequence for not meeting our school expectations.
Students who:
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arrive late to registration after 8.45am
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arrive late for 2 or more lessons in the school day or
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receive two behaviour logs for not meeting school standards
will be kept behind until the end of the school day at 3.05pm.
Students who do not complete their ‘catch up’ session will receive an extended detention as a consequence.
Students who have followed school expectations and who are punctual will be dismissed from last lesson at 2.50pm every day.
Attendance Support Team
We have a dedicated team of staff at Saints Peter and Paul who work on Attendance; the Attendance Officer, Year Mentors, Lead Mentors and Progress Leaders scrutinise our attendance data daily and work closely with Halton Education Welfare Services.
As you would expect, we have very high standards and are committed to all our students making maximum progress. The Attendance staff are always happy to offer advice and support to students, parents and families on effective strategies for maximising attendance. If you would like more details please do not hesitate to contact School.
Further details can be found in the School's 'Attendance For Learning Policy'.
IT IS VITAL THAT YOU KEEP US INFORMED IF YOUR CONTACT DETAILS CHANGE SO THAT WE CAN STAY IN TOUCH WITH ALL PARENTS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
Reporting A Student Absence
If you need to report a student absence, please scroll across to the 'Absences' tab on banner menu of the Class Charts website or app.
To report an absence:
STEP 1. Click on the 'Report New Absence' button.
STEP 2. Enter the details of the reported absence into the form provided.
You can also include up to 5 files in your absence report as supporting evidence.
To do this, click on the Attach supporting evidence button and select the files of your choice.
STEP 3. Click on the Submit button to send your pupil’s absence report to school.
Once the absence is received by school, you will will receive a message from our admin team.
Reporting A Staff Absence
Staff should call 0151 422 6504 before 7.45 am on the morning of an absence.