Attendance
“Going to school regularly is important to your child’s future. For example, children who miss school frequently can fall behind with their work and do less well in exams. Good attendance shows potential employers that your child is reliable. Research suggests that children who attend school regularly could also be at less risk of getting involved in antisocial behaviour or crime.”
Direct.gov website
At St. Bridget’s we aim to consistently work towards our goal of 96% attendance for all children. Every opportunity will be used to convey the importance of regular, punctual attendance to pupils, parents and carers.
The Government sets a level of absence for each child of school age and if this falls below 90% they are classed as a ‘persistent absentee’. The Local Authority can take action if a child’s absence falls below this.
Our school is committed to providing the best possible quality of education to all learners. To help achieve this commitment, regular punctual school attendance is vital. We cannot do this without the support of our parents.
We ask that they:
- are responsible for making sure their children attend school regularly
- ensure that their children arrive on time for school every day
- contact the school if their child is unable to attend
- ensure that the school has up-to-date contact details
- make appointments outside of school holidays, where possible
- do not take children out of school during term time to go on holiday.
What we will do:
At the end of each half term, we will communicate with you your child’s current attendance percentage to date and as a result of this, the colour zone your child’s attendance is in - Green, Amber or Red. The Government expects attendance of 96% or above. If your child’s attendance is in the amber zone (at risk zone), their attendance is below the standard set by the Government. As a school, we will look at ways to support you to improve your child’s attendance including a period of attendance monitoring. If your child’s attendance is in the red zone, your child’s attendance must be referred through the Local Authority’s Attendance Officer.
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100% |
Upper Green |
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96 - 99.9% |
Lower Green |
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94 - 95.9% |
Upper Amber |
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90 - 93.9% |
Lower Amber |
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Below 90% |
Red |
School Newsletter
The school newsletter is used to highlight the importance of good attendance and punctuality. It includes sections reminding parents of our school attendance target and what that means in terms of number of days absent. It also includes information about any initiatives which the school is using to promote attendance and punctuality.
End of Half-Term Attendance Rewards
All children who have 100% attendance at the end of each term will receive a certificate in our celebration assembly. Children who achieve 100% attendance at the end of the year will receive a certificate and prize.
End of Term Letter to Parents
Children who are absent from school for more than 10% of the time are classed as 'persistent absentees'. If at the end of a term a child's attendance is below 90%, Mrs Smith will write to parents to attend an attendance meeting to discuss ways in which school and home can work together to improve their child's attendance. It is important for school to communicate to parents about persistent absences as this can have a negative effect on a child's education. We endeavour to improve attendance across the whole school and to work with parents on achieving this.
Academic Year 2022-2023
The end of year attendance percentage for school was 94.5% compared to national attendance for primary school children of 94%. Those absent for more than 10% of the academic year in school was 10.6% compared to 17.2% of primary school children nationally. Whilst our attendance results are better than national results, we are still short of our 96% attendance target. We will be working towards improving our overall attendance results in the next academic year.
Attendance Documents