Further information for parents

Who to contact

Details about who to contact at your school are easy to find. The school’s senior leader responsible for attendance will be best placed to help. This information will be in the school’s attendance policy on its website. The school office may have a hard copy if necessary.

You may also be interested to read these blog articles:

Attendance: the facts

[Research from the Department of Education]

The link between attendance and attainment is clear

In 2018/19, just 40% of persistently absent (PA) children in KS2 achieved expected KS2 standards, compared with 84% of pupils who regularly attended school.
36% of PA children in KS4 got 9 to 4 in their English and maths GCSEs, compared with 84% of regular attenders

And it’s never too late to benefit from good attendance

More than half (54%) of pupils who were PA in Year 10 and then rarely absent in Year 11, passed at least 5 GCSEs, compared to 36% of pupils who were persistently absent in both years

But attendance is important for more than just attainment

Regular school attendance can facilitate positive peer relationships, which is a protective factor for mental health and wellbeing

Attendance in the first week of school in September sets up attendance throughout the year (and it's time to start preparing for back to school now)

Evidence from the Children’s Commissioner report showed that children who miss one of the first few days of the new term for unauthorised reasons are much more likely to miss long periods of their schooling than their peers who attended those first few days. These children had a predicted overall absence of almost 45%, or 31 days across the term
In the 2022/23 academic year, of those who had at least one day of absence in the first week of term, 55.5% went on to be persistently absent.

Schools, education and childcare School Attendance Information, Advice and Guidance for 2024-25