Attendance at School (part 1)

Six reasons why “every day at school counts” for your child

I recently received the attendance figures for students at Amesbury School. These are reported to you in your child's Personal Learning Treaty. I think it is timely to think a little about the importance of attendance. We have set our attendance goal at 96% because we believe that attendance is very important to high levels of achievement.

Research is very clear about the importance of school attendance for all children but especially for students in years 1 – 2:

1. Long-term success at school is strongly linked to attendance, particularly in the first two years of school. Further, time spent at school is one of the major predictors of a happy, successful, long and healthy life.

2. Students with a poor attendance record in years 1 and 2 are much more likely to drop out of school early.

3. Attendance at school is usually regarded as one of the “big four” factors that can produce resilience in young people. We need resilient young people.

4. Increased participation in school is key to reducing anti-social behaviour and offending.

5. Poor attendance at school leads to disengagement with education.

6. Longer term consequences of disengagement with education include worse employment opportunities, lower earnings, higher involvement in crime, worse mental health etc.

Poor attendance can creep up on well meaning and caring families.

If 96% attendance rate seem an unrealistic goal, look at it this way......If a students has an average attendance rate of 90% over the eight years at primary school, that students will go to secondary school having missed close to a full year of schooling. This loss of time at school is significant and MUST impact achievement and engagement.

Next.....what the legislative requirements are for attendance.