Attendance
We believe that all students are only able to achieve their potential if they attend school punctually and avoid missing lessons. We expect students to achieve 100% attendance and punctuality. Individual student records prove that this is achievable.
Good attendance contributes to:
- personal and social development
- continuity of learning making retention and progress easier
- success in tests and examinations
- fulfilment of coursework requirements
- good references for further education or employment
- a reputation for reliability
What constitutes good attendance?
Attendance percentages are not like examination results: an attendance percentage needs to be in the high nineties before it can be considered good. We grade attendance as follows:-
- 100% = excellent attendance
- 98% = very good attendance
- 96% = good attendance
Each year, a number of students in every year group achieve 100% attendance records, showing that this is an achievable target. In addition, a number of children have achieved this level of attendance in successive years.
Attendance figures below 90% are of real concern. Consider the following examples:-
- 90% is the equivalent to missing one day per fortnight which equates to missing half a year’s education during the course of Years 7-11
- 80% is the equivalent to missing one day per week which equates to missing one full year during the course of Years 7-11
- A student is classified as a persistent absentee if their attendance percentage falls below 95%
- The school engages fully with Liverpool Education Welfare Service and we work closely with our educational welfare officer to improve and increase individual student attendance.
What does the school do to encourage good attendance?
- Individual rewards for students with good and excellent attendance records
- Individual and group targets are set for attendance where necessary
- Regular attendance information sent to parents/carers to assist them in monitoring their child’s attendance
- Regular promotion of good attendance in assemblies and at parents’/carers’ evenings
- Detailed analysis of attendance figures and trends for individuals, year groups, sub groups and the whole school
- Regular reports to governors
- Computerised registration system which allows every lesson to be monitored
- A member of the office staff dedicated to the administration of attendance
- Automatic contact with parents/carers when students absent or late
- Dedicated School Attendance Officer
- Support for students and parents/carers where attendance difficulties are emerging
Parents/carers make a vital contribution to their child’s attendance by:
- supporting their child in achieving 100% attendance
- monitoring their child’s attendance by checking the report which is sent home
- avoiding dental/medical appointments during school time
- ensuring their child arrives punctually at school
- encouraging their child to catch up on work missed through absence
- informing the school in the morning if their child will be absent
- taking vacations during school holidays and NOT in term time
The school has a responsibility to:
- record daily, students’ attendance and punctuality
- provide attendance and punctuality percentages
- monitor all attendance and punctuality
- share concerns with regard to attendance and punctuality with parents/carers and the school’s Attendance Service
- decide whether to authorise student absence from school (see below)
- set attendance targets
Authorising Absences
Only the school can authorise absence. Government guidelines are specific and allow the school to authorise the following:
- student absence through leave granted only by the school – this commonly includes medical appointments, interviews and other similar special authorised circumstances
- student illness
- religious observance where applicable
Examples of absence which have not been authorised in the past include:
- shopping trips
- “looking after” brother/sister, cat/dog, elderly relative etc.
- arrival after the close of the register (9.15am) with no valid reason for the late arrival
- truancy
- day trips
- holidays taken during term time
Reporting Absences:
If your child is absent from school please contact school on the first day of their absence prior to their start time on 0151 230 1320 or by emailing [email protected]
If they are going to be absent for more than 1 day please advise of a return to school date, if this is not stated a call everyday of their absence is required.