Attendance & Punctuality
Why Attendance at School is so Important
Excellent attendance at school is important to allow a child or young person to fulfil their potential.
Below are just some of the key reason why it is so important for your child to attend school:
- To learn
- To have fun
- To make new friends
- To experience new things in life
- To develop awareness of other cultures, religion, ethnicity and gender differences
- To achieve
- To gain qualifications to develop new skills
- To develop new skills
- To build confidence and self-esteem
- To have the best possible start in life
Key point
Young people who regularly miss school without good reason are more likely to become isolated from their friends, to underachieve in examinations and/or become involved in anti-social behaviour.
How Parents Can Help
- Establish a good routine in the mornings and evenings so your child is prepared for the school day ahead.
- Make sure your child goes to school regularly and follows the school rules.
- Ensure your child arrives at school on time – not late.
- Arrange dental and medical appointments outside school hours when possible.
- Always inform the school if your child is absent due to illness.
- Take truancy seriously – if your child is not attending school as you expect they may be putting themselves at risk – Who are they with? What are they doing?
- Take family holidays outside of term time.*
- Talk to your child about school and take an interest in their school work (including homework).
- Attend parent evenings and school events.
- Praise and reward your child’s achievements at school.
- Always support school staff in their efforts to control difficult or challenging behaviour.
- Discuss any problems or difficulties with the school – staff are there to help and will be supportive.
Key point
Do not be afraid to ask for help if a problem arises.
Every School Day Counts!
Every single day a child is absent from school equates to a day of lost learning.
Attendance percentages can be misleading.
For some parents, 90% may seem like an acceptable level of attendance, but the reality is that 90% attendance means that your child will miss half a school day each week or 19 days of school during the school year – that’s nearly 4 school weeks.
| 100% Attendance | 0 days missed | Excellent | |||
| 95% Attendance | 9 days of absence 1 week and 4 days of learning missed | Satisfactory | |||
| 90% Attendance | 19 days of absence 3 weeks and 4 days of learning missed | Poor | |||
| 85% Attendance | 28 days of absence 5 weeks and 3 days of learning missed | Very poor | |||
| 80% Attendance | 38 days of absence 7 weeks and 3 days of learning missed | Unacceptable | |||
| 75% Attendance | 46 days of absence 9 weeks and 1 day of learning missed | Unacceptable |
Key point
Give your child the best start in life – every school day counts.
Where possible you should give at least fourteen days notice of intended absence.