Attendance

Why does attendance matter?

There is a wide range of international evidence that tells us that children who attend school regularly go on to achieve better outcomes, live healthier, wealthier and more enriched lives - and we want to make sure we are all doing everything that we can to make that happen for all of our children. 

School is not just about academic success and attainment. It is also centred on learning about the world, about relationships and about individuals. It is about trying new things, making new friends, and finding a place in the world. To miss school is to miss the multifaceted experiences that shape the choices we make, the opportunities we have and the quality of life that we lead. 

Whilst we measure attendance, and absence, in percentages, it's important to see absence as missed days and missed lessons. Being late on a regular basis is also about missing lessons. In this ladder, we can see that 90% attendance, or 10% absence, is the same as missing 18 school days. In terms of missed lessons, this is a huge amount and will have am very real impact on learning.  

In other circumstances, 90% appears high for example we agreed that getting 90% in an exam would be a great achievement! But, as outlined above, 90% attendance already has a detrimental impact on learning. 90% is also the percentage below which a child is classed as being "persistently absent". This percentage is set by the Department for Education. Schools are measured on their attendance percentage, and their persistent absence percentage. 

How do we report attendance? What is classed as 'late'?

The Department for Education tells us how to report attendance. This includes the use of codes for. All schools use the same codes to report attendance, and they are based around the timing of the school day for each individual school. At Ellingham:

The school gates open at 8.35am

The school day starts at 8.40am. 

We leave a window of 10 minutes for children to make their way to their classroom.

As such, a child who arrives in their classroom between 8.40 and 8.50am is marked as 'Present': /code

The register remains open for a further 30 mins. 

A child who arrives in their classroom between 8.40 and 9.20am is marked as 'Late': L code

At 9.20am, the register is closed. Children who arrive after the register has closed must receive a 'U' code.

A U code is classed as an 'Unauthorised absence'. One of the reasons for our high absence percentage is pupils arriving at school after the register has closed.

We celebrate attendance in all different ways

We have Hot Chocolate Friday! This is for a few children each week, and will be for different reasons. Here are just some examples!

Most improved attendance

Being on time all week

100% attendance

Our Attendance Policy

Our Attendance Policy outlines our processes and procedures. It is on our policies page and is worth reading, particularly to understand fixed penalty fines. Government guidance tells schools that missing five school days in any ten-week period may put a family at risk of a fixed penalty notice. This covers both requests for leave of absence, for example requesting to take a holiday during term time, and other unauthorised absences. 

Useful Resources