Dear Parent / Carers,
Being around teachers and friends in a school environment is the best way for pupils to learn and reach their potential. Time in school also keeps children safe and provides access to extracurricular opportunities and pastoral care.
That’s why school attendance is so important and why we are committed to tackling the issues that might cause some children to miss school unnecessarily.
2022-23 saw 28% of absences being classified as persistent absence; this means the pupil has missed more than 10% of the school year. (About 20 days / 4 weeks)
At Camrose this is predominately due to unauthorised absence for holidays; pupils returning late to a new term or taking time off before the end of a term.
Being in school is important to your child’s achievement, well-being, and wider development. Every moment in school counts, and days missed add up quickly. The higher a pupil’s attendance, the more they are likely to learn, and the better they are likely to perform.
Data from 2019 shows that 84% of Key Stage 2 pupils who had 100% attendance achieved the expected standard, compared to 40% of pupils who were persistently absent across the key stage.
You, as parents and carers, have a legal duty to ensure your child gets a full time-education. Unfortunately, for many of our pupils, this legal right is not being up-held with 128 pupils being persistently absent last academic year – this is not acceptable!
Research suggests that pupils who have an average of 20 days absent per school year see negative effects throughout their educational journey – resulting in a whole GCSE grade deficit by the time they leave secondary education.
There are only a small number of circumstances where missing a school day is permitted. Your child must attend every day that the school is open, unless:
- Your child is too ill to attend.
- You have asked in advance and been given permission by the school for your child to be absent on a specific day due to exceptional circumstances.
- Your child cannot go to school on a specific day because they are observing a religious event.
Holidays are not an acceptable reason for a school absence and are unlikely to be treated as an exceptional circumstance.
Please see the pupil attendance policy:
Click link here
I ask that you help us ensure that your child receives the best possible education by bringing them to school every day.
