Ensuring pupils have excellent attendance and punctuality at Larches High School is a priority area for the school. We expect pupils to have attendance of 97% or above in line with the Department of Education expectations.
Did you know?
- There are 190 school days in every academic year
- 90% attendance is equivalent to missing 100 hour long lessons
- 90% attendance means one half day absence each week; four weeks over a year and half a year over 5 years
- 5 or more GCSE or equivalent passes can increase wages by 42%
- Missing 17 days in one year means dropping a full grade at GCSE • School attendance is quoted on job references
- You can be fined £120 every term if your child is persistently late to school
- You can be fined anything up to £2500 or be given a 3 month prison sentence if your child has missed too much school
What we will do?
Pupil attendance and punctuality is monitored daily by the Attendance Manager: Ms Christina Mclean (Ext 223) & Attendance Officer: Mrs Lorraine Morrow (Ext 219). It is monitored under the following headings:
GREEN
- Your child’s attendance is above 97% – less than 6 days absence per year
- They will almost certainly achieve grades and make expected progress
GREEN / AMBER
- Your child’s attendance is 95% + – less than 10 days absence per year
- They are likely to achieve the grades that will give them real opportunities
AMBER
- Your child’s attendance is 90% to 95% -missing up to 20 days per school year.
RED
- Your child’s attendance is between 80% to 90% – missing up to 40 days per school year – 8 weeks!
- They are missing so much time it will be difficult for them to keep up with lessons
BE WISE about attendance: if your child’s attendance is below 80% you could be thought of as failing in your duty as parent/ carer.
How can you help?
- Make sure your child has enough sleep so that they are able to get up in the morning for school
- Make sure that all medical and dental appointments are made out of school time
- Avoid holidays during school time
- If you know your child is going to be absent from school or will be late contact us immediately on 01772 792412 ext 219 or email c.mclean@larches.lancs.sch.uk
How can we help?
- We will support you with developing routines for your child
- We will contact you when your child is not in school or arrives late
- We will reward your child for good attendance and punctuality
- We will provide additional support for you via our Family Support Workers and Pupil Support Managers if requested
Holidays
We do not encourage holidays to be taken in term time. In line with Department for Education guidance permission for holidays will only be granted if your child’s attendance is above 95%, or above 90% for the previous academic year. A holiday request form must be completed at least 2 weeks prior to a holiday. There is a very clear link between attainment and attendance – a two week holiday will mean that your child will miss 50+ hours of lessons that they will need to catch up on.
School attendance and Support to encourage good attendance and punctuality.
School can support non attendance/barriers to attendance through completing interventions with students using activities and resources from the Emotionally Based School Avoidance guidance.
Please contact the Attendance Manager at school to discuss any issues or barriers to attendance or if you or your child require Family support/ advice.
Sanctions for failure to attend school regularly.
The DFE have indicated that sanctions will now be used to address non attendance at school. As a school we will continue to offer as much support as possible to prevent the need for such an approach. However, when needed legal interventions as detailed within the School Attendance Policy will be used.
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