Attendance
Attendance matters so do you!
Our vision is to achieve excellence by consistently fulfilling 100% attendance and punctuality goals.
Why getting to school on time, every day, matters!
Missing out on lessons leaves children vulnerable to falling behind.
We seek to ensure that all our pupils receive a full-time education which maximises opportunities for each pupil to realise their true potential both socially and academically.
Over a period of five school years, a pupil with 90% attendance will have missed half of a whole year of schooling. Similarly, pupils with poor punctuality miss valuable lesson time and, if it happens regularly, progress will be jeopardised.
What does attendance look like for you?
We expect outstanding attendance for all, however we do recognise that there are times when pupils will absent from school. If attendance drops below 97% the school may contact parents to discuss any needed support and put a plan in place to make improvements.
There are 190 school days each year, this means there are 175 non-school days a year for families to use for holidays and appointments.
* Persistent absence is defined as: 10% or more of sessions missed (19 or more days) (based on each student’s possible sessions). Absences may be authorised or unauthorised and both will be included.
** Severe absence is defined as: 50% or more of sessions missed (based on each student’s possible sessions). Absences may be authorised or unauthorised and both will be included.
How are we doing?
Weekly running total by year group:
Year 7 - 94.5%
Year 8 - 91.8%
Year 9 - 92.2%
Year 10 - 92.3%
Year 11 - xxx%
Year 12 - xxx%
Year 13 - xxx%
We are in this together
We work relentlessly to support pupils and parents achieve 100% attendance
Parents - How can you support excellent attendance?
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Ensuring your child understands the importance of excellent attendance and punctuality.
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Taking an interest in their education – asking about schoolwork and encourage them to get involved in school activities.
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Discussing any problems they may have at school and inform their tutor to pass on concerns quickly.
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Not allowing them to take time off school for minor ailments – particularly those which would not prevent you from going to work.
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Arranging appointments after school hours, at weekends or during school holidays will help to prevent disruption to your child’s education and to the school.
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Being open and willing to work with us to improve your child’s attendance.
Pupils - You can improve your attendance by:
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Speaking to a trusted adult about the reasons why you might not want to come to school.
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Trying hard every morning to get up and get to school, unless you are really unwell.
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Getting an early night, feeling tired on a morning can make getting to school harder.
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Make sure you get to school on time every day.
Help!
We're here to help if you need it.
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If you are concerned about your child's school attendance, it is always best to talk to us first.
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We have a dedicated Attendance team who are here to help pupils and families.
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Pupils with attendance of less than 95% are monitored closely by the Pastoral Team (Attendance and Pupil Support Officers).
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We also have the specialist support of a Parent Support worker who will be able to offer intensive support guidance to pupils and families to help to improve attendance.
FAQs
What do I do if my child is not well enough to go to school?
If you feel that your child isn’t well enough to come to school, you need to phone and leave a message before 8.30am for each day a pupil will not be attending school with your child’s name, year group and the reason why they are not in school. School absence line is 01225 309501.
Medical appointments should be made for after school wherever possible. We may ask to see evidence of medical appointments, if your child’s attendance is a concern.
What does authorised and unauthorised absence mean?
We must follow national legal guidelines which means that holiday requests during term-time cannot be authorised.
Because of this, absences or persistent lateness which are not agreed with us, can incur a penalty notice. These penalties are through the local council.
We cannot guarantee that we will authorise a pupil’s leave of absence during term time, as this is only done in exceptional circumstances. If you don’t get permission from our Headteacher, the absence is classed as ‘unauthorised’ and this includes lateness.
If you want to see if an absence can be authorised, you must contact school in advance and get permission from the Headteacher by completing an absence request form. Found here.
What will happen if my child misses school?
We keep parents up to date with their child's attendance and confirm absences with them; this makes sure pupils are supported in their progress at St Laurence School.
Our House teams work really hard to support pupils and often identify patterns of non-attendance. They will always work with parents and carers to understand these patterns and see how they can be improved.
Leave of Absence Form (only to be used in exceptional circumstance)
If you require an exceptional leave of absence, please download this form and send it to the school office. Found here.
You can access further information on attendance and how to support pupils with their attendance and punctuality by seeing the St Laurence School Policy on School Attendance.