Attendance July 2013

Student attendance has improved over the first half of this year with 70% of students achieving an attendance rate of 96% or more. 

The number of students for whom attendance is 90% and below and/or have a pattern of lateness to school has decreased slightly but for these few students their low attendance is of concern, particularly when it is not the result of an extended trip overseas.

When you consider that an attendance figure of 90% means that by the time a student goes to High School they will have missed almost a year of schooling, this can have a significant impact on achievement. However, of even greater concern is the long term effect of developing a pattern of intermittent non-attendance. Students for whom this is the case are less likely to remain at school or go onto higher education. The research shows very clearly that this can have an impact on their long term success and happiness in life. Allowing students to develop a pattern of having a day off here and a day of there when it is not absolutely necessary is setting up a pattern that can have quite a long term negative impact on students and parents need to be aware of this. This is as true of five year olds as of older children. Attendance in the first two years of school has been shown to be the best indicator of long term success in education. 

Family holidays overseas have once again made an impact on the attendance in the first half of this year. As a school we are supportive of the “broad” education overseas trips. However, it is important that parents make the decision to take their children away on holiday during the term on an informed basis. Parents should be informed of:

i.                Their child’s current attendance rate

ii.               Research regarding the impact of attendance on achievement and long term success in school

iii.              Likely impact on their child’s achievement and social well being. e.g. some students may find it hard to fit back into their social group having been away for a number of weeks.

Amesbury has revised its Attendance Policy to include its own definition of justified and unjustified absences. We will post this on this blog after it has been approved the Board of Trustees.