Attendance Celebrations
I am delighted to update you on the attendance awards presented to children in this term.
In total 178 attendance awards will be given out at our end of term assembly on Friday. This is an increase from 154 last term!
A total of 178 ‘good attendance’ (95%+) awards
A total of 85 ‘excellent attendance’ (100%)
All 178 pupils will receive a certificate, with those attending 100% of the time a small gift.
Likewise, the number of parents required to attend absence management meetings has reduced again
Previous warnings/referrals - 119
End of Autumn Term warnings or referrals - 69
End of Spring Term warning referrals - 29
I wish to thank the increasing number of parents and adults who work exceptionally hard (sometimes in very difficult circumstance) to get their children to school regularly.
Sadly, this does however highlight that the number of children attending Ashgate Primary school that are recorded as having poor attendance remains too high. This is worrying for the prospects of these children and still too many parents do not recognise the importance of good attendance. This is despite many efforts to share this message.
This is your child’s future
-There is a direct link between poor attendance and poor learning outcomes at our school and nationally.
-Children who have poor attendance are identified as at being at more risk of anti-social behaviours and crime in later life (repeated studies show this).
-Children who have poor attendance are more likely to be involved in misconduct in school and ‘get into trouble’, and this is seen at our school.
The clock resets for the children as of January (new)
Whilst annual figures (September to August) are the basis from which attendance is assessed legally and reported to the Department for Education, we recognise that it is important that children are given regular opportunities to have improvements recognised.
For this reason, the Spring Term attendance awards were assessed from January 9th until March 31st. Children’s attendance was reset to allow opportunity to reflect improved attendance term on term, not annualy as was once the case.
It is however important that parents understand that the legal attendance figures are based on the academic year and these awards do not reflect the legal status of attendance during this period.
Reduced persistent absence (-90%) reporting and warnings
I am also pleased to announce that since the start of term, the number of parents summoned to attendance meetings or informed of Educational Welfare Officer referrals has dropped.
Previous warnings/referrals - 119
End of Autumn Term warnings or referrals - 69
End of Spring Term warning referrals - 29
Whilst this remains too high and too many children continue to suffer as a result of missing 10% or more of their time at school, the improvement is important. This must continue if staff at the school are to support children in reaching their potential.
Why good attendance matters
We know, FACT, that there is a direct link between poor attendance at Ashgate Primary School and under performance. Year on year, term by term, group by group, poor attendance is a key factor to achieving well.
Regular school attendance is an important part of giving children the best possible start in life. The aim should be to attend 100% of the time, but it is recognised that some absences are likely as a result of, for example, seasonal illness. This is why the government set the standard ‘good attendance’ figure as 95%.
Pupils who miss school frequently fall behind with their work and do less well in exams. Good attendance also instils in a child the importance of commitment and routine in order to succeed in life.
Research repeatedly suggests that students who attend school regularly could also be at less risk of getting involved in antisocial behaviour or crime in later life.
It is also important to arrive at school on time. If a child arrives late to school every day, their learning begins to suffer.