Attendance is one of the biggest factors that influences children’s achievement and when a child attends school regularly, they succeed. Arriving on time for school gives a positive start to the day, ensuring that children are ready to learn all day and that no learning is lost. We want all children to be happy, safe and supported at school to support their strong attendance.   

Good attendance and punctuality are important life-skills that are highly valued by employers, colleges and universities and teaching students about the importance of good attendance is an important part of our curriculum.    

Attendance is a legal requirement and Selston High School expects students to attend every day and has an attendance target of 96%. 

Responsibility as a parent/carer

If you are a parent of a child of statutory age (between five and 16 years) who is registered at a school you are responsible for making sure s/he attends school regularly.  

Why does attendance matter?

Attending school on a regular basis is the key to your child doing well at school and will set them up with good routines for later life and the working world, as well as give them the opportunity to:   

  • Make friends and feel included
  • Learn new things and develop skills, Increase their confidence and self-esteem
  • Improve social skills  
  • Achieve their potential and fulfil aspirations  
  • Every school day counts  
97%+Above 97%. Less than 6 days absence a year: Excellent attendance! Students with this attendance should achieve the best grades they can, leading to better prospects for work, college or university.
96%+96%. Less than 9 days absence in a year: Students with this attendance are likely to achieve their target grades and have good opportunities for work, college and university.
90%+90%. 19 days absence over the year: Students with this attendance are missing a month of school per year and may drop an exam grade; it will be difficult for them to achieve their best.
85%+85%. 29 days absence in a year: These students are missing 6 weeks of school a year, it will be very difficult for them to keep up and do their best.
80%+80%. Students with this attendance are missing a year of school over the five years of secondary education, it will be almost impossible to keep up with work. Parents of students with this level of attendance could be issued with a Penalty Notice.

Attendance FAQ

What is authorised absence?

This is any absence that is approved by your child’s headteacher. These absences will be marked in the attendance register with an authorised absence code.

What is an unauthorised absence?

This is any absence that is not approved by your child’s headteacher including:  

Absence for which a parent has not provided a reason  

Absence where the reason provided has not been accepted as justifiable or genuine by the headteacher  

If your child arrives late after the close of registration  

If your child’s attendance falls below 90% we may ask for medical evidence before we are able to authorise any absence due to illness.
If medical evidence is not provided the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and we may need to hold an Attendance Panel meeting to discuss your child’s attendance.

Ultimately, if your child’s attendance does not improve we may need to request the issuing of a Penalty Notice from the Local Authority following an informed monitoring period.

What action should I take if my child is too unwell to attend school?

All absences must be reported by 8.20am on a daily basis.
It is a parent’s responsibility to ensure their child attends school regularly and punctually.

How do I register an absence?

Telephone the school on 01773 810321 and leave a message including:
Your name.
Your child’s name.
Tutor group
Reason for absence.

Use their child’s Classcharts login and report the absence and attach medical evidence as required.

Use Schoolcomms to message the reason for absence.

Do I need to send a note when my child returns to school?

No

If your child’s attendance falls below 90% we may ask for medical evidence before we are able to authorise any absence due to illness.
If medical evidence is not provided the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and we may need to hold an Attendance Panel meeting to discuss your child’s attendance.
Ultimately, if your child’s attendance does not improve we may need to request the issuing of a Penalty Notice from the Local Authority following an informed monitoring period.

My child needs a medical appointment, what should I do?

Appointments should be made out of school hours wherever possible. If this is not possible, please inform your child’s form tutor in advance by letter.

I want to take my child out of school during term time what should I do?

The law states that you do not have the right to take your child out of school during term time. The Local Education Authority works with schools to reduce the number of children missing school because of leave taken in term time, including family holidays, and we will not authorise any absence where children miss school unless there are exceptional circumstances. Such unauthorised absences of 4 days or more will lead to the school requesting that the Local Authority issue a penalty notice.

We advise that you do not plan for your child to be absent from school without gaining prior agreement from the school first by completing the Leave of Absence Form which can be downloaded from the link below or is available from reception. We cannot retrospectively authorise absence from school under any circumstances. If your request is authorised, you are required to ensure your child catches up on any missed school work. This is your responsibility and the school is not obliged to provide work for your child.

If after consideration, the school refuse your application for leave and you still take your child out of school, the absences will be treated as unauthorised. Such unauthorised absences of 4 days or more will lead to a request being made for the Local Authority to issue a Penalty Notice. This is not a decision that the school will take lightly and the full context of the situation will be thoroughly considered before making such a decision.

What can you do to help your child’s attendance?

It is a parent’s responsibility to ensure that their child attends school regularly and punctually.
If your child becomes reluctant to attend school:
Make early contact with school.
Support the school in addressing the issue.
Make sure that your child understands that you do not approve of the absence.
Remember that your child must not be kept away from school for reasons such as:
Looking after others at home, visiting relatives, taking long weekends. shopping trips. birthday treats.

If my child is late for school what should they do and what will happen?

Students should be on site for 8.25 am ready for lessons to start at 8.30 am.
If your child arrives between 8.30 am and 8.40 am they should give their name to our Late Gate staff who will be at the front and back gates of the school.
Being late for anything on a regular basis is not acceptable and school is no different. Being late for a lesson shows a lack of respect for teachers and other students in the group, as disruption is caused at the start of the lesson.

We operate daily late gates and if students arrive late the appropriate correction will be issued

Persistent lateness will not be tolerated and further action may be taken if this occurs. We may request that the Local Authority issues a Penalty Notice in extreme cases.

Kerry Powell is the Attendance Officer at Selston High School. Her role is to monitor students’ attendance and support families to improve attendance and punctuality and ensure the safeguarding of students.

Selston High School undertakes home visits to work with parents and to ensure the well-being of its students. She can be contacted directly through Reception or via her email Kerry.Powell@selston.ttct.co.uk

Leave Of Absence Form