Attendance
We always work very hard to improve attendance at St Ethelwold's as we firmly believe that the more we have your child in school, the more they will learn and the happier they will be.
At present attendance stands at 89% which compares favourably with many local schools and we will be working towards getting up towards 95%.
Our governor agreed policy and procedure means that you may get a letter if attendance drops below this, please do not be alarmed if this happens to you! It is a chance for us to begin a discussion on how we can improve the attendance and open up a two-way conversation. Attending school is also crucial from a safeguarding perspective, ensuring that children are seen, safe and heard. Active follow-up of absence is a major element of our role. This is one of the main reasons why recording and monitoring attendance accurately is so important.
Regular school attendance has a positive effect on children and young people and a strong impact on learner outcomes, standards and progression. Within this, regular attendance supports the development of literacy and numeracy skills, and on the conceptual understanding needed for further study and success in the workplace. Analysis shows that examination outcomes link strongly to attendance rates, for example, where a modest increase in absence can lower outcomes. Lessons missed can mean missing key information, skills and ideas.
Good attendance also has a positive effect on emotional and physical wellbeing. Establishing good attendance patterns from an early age is vital for social development. For example, the more time a child spends with other children in the classroom and as part of broader school-organised activities, the more chance they have of making friends, of feeling included, and of developing social skills, confidence and self-esteem. Conversely, extended absence from school is linked with behavioural and social problems. These effects can be long lasting and can affect a young person’s mental health and their long-term life chances. Absences can start a negative cycle, where learners start to be absent for reasons such as bullying or not coping with school work, with prolonged absence only likely to make the situation harder to resolve. The inter-relationship between attendance and wellbeing is considered so strong that attendance is often considered a proxy measure for learner wellbeing.
Attending school also supports learners’ wider development as full and rounded members of society. The Curriculum for Wales is based on four purposes that demonstrate the breadth of the academic, wellbeing and social benefits that learners gain by attending school. Because of the well-established links between attendance and attainment, wellbeing and citizenship, improving attendance has long been an important policy aim for governments, local authorities and individual schools. Internationally, the advantages of education are such that the right to a comprehensive range of education and learning opportunities is one of the seven core aims of the Welsh Government based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Is it really serious for Children to be in school and on time?
Yes!
- Your child will be calm and ready to begin learning
- They will not miss registration
- They will not miss the start of a lesson
- They will not disrupt the other children. They will be given the best possible opportunity to succeed
- It is a valuable life skill.
My child has 90% attendance, that's good isn't it?
It sounds good, but is it? 90% attendance is equivalent to half a day missed every week or 4 whole weeks of lessons missed each year!
Missing 6 days a term every year, is the same as missing one whole school year!
