Attendance

To enable all pupils to benefit from their education Nightingale are committed to securing full attendance at the school and good time keeping on arrival.

Good attendance at school makes it easier for your child to make, and keep, good friends as well as being able to learn well. There is a direct correlation between good school attendance and getting good qualifications at GCSE. The government's expected attendance for primary aged pupils is at least 96%, which allows for the usual incidence of childhood illnesses.

The school encourages and celebrates good attendance through a range of rewards, both for individuals and classes.

We have a structured approach to supporting children with poor attendance and work closely with the Educational Welfare Officer to this end. If your child is too ill to attend school, please ring us on the first morning to let us know. We will pursue any unexplained absence or persistent absence for which there is no authorisation.

Holidays

Holidays taken in school time are not authorised and could result in a fine. Families taking holidays in term time will be referred to the Educational Welfare Officer.

Legal Responsibilities

Parent/carers of children of legal school age must make sure they receive a full time education. They must ensure their child attends school regularly and stays there all day.

Law

Section 444 of the Education Act 1996 is the law under which a parent/carer can be prosecuted.

The Consequences

Parent/carers can be taken to court for the breaking the law. The maximum penalty is a fine of up to £2,500 per parent per child (for you and your partner) and/or up to 3 month’s imprisonment.

Penalty Notice

The Local Authority also have the power to issue a penalty notice, (Penalty notices start at £50 per parent per child - if not paid the fine will rise to £100. Failure to pay may lead to prosecution)

Regular absences from school can affect: 

• Attainment levels - the quality of school work, qualifications gained
  
  
• School routine - disrupting your child’s learning and that of the other pupils
  
  
• The chances of children and young people being involved in anti-social behaviour a child or young person’s general well being and long term life opportunities
  
  
• Difficulty in forming long lasting friendships
  
  
• Missing key aspects of learning which lead to gaps.
  
  

Attendance affects achievement

Did you know? Research shows that higher student attendance at school is associated, on average, with higher student achievement.  Research published by the Department for Education (DfE) suggests that children with poor attendance are more likely not to be in education, employment or training when they leave school.  It argues that there is a clear link between poor attendance at school and lower academic achievement, highlighting that only 3% of pupils who miss more than 50% of school manage to achieve 5 or more A* - C GCSEs, including English and Maths, compared with 73% of pupils who have more than 95% attendance.

Is 80% attendance good?

Simply put, no, it is not!  An 80% mark in an exam may be good but 80% attendance through four years of school equal a full school year lost.

Lateness has a negative impact

Being late can:

Disrupt lessons

Affect achievement

Embarrass/upset your child

Being late adds up to loss of learning:

• 5 minutes late every day adds up to 3 days lost each year
  
  
• 10 minutes adds up to 6 days lost each year
  
  
• 15 minutes adds up to 10 days lost each year
  
  
• 20 minutes adds up to 13 days lost each year
  
  
• 30 minutes adds up to 19 days lost each year
  
  

Being on time means not missing out!

The simple fact is that children who do not attend school regularly make poor academic progress.