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The Importance of Good Attendance
At Ashgate Primary School we take attendance very seriously, and with good reason. Not only was it our only identified category for improvement in our most recent Ofsted inspection (downgrading our ‘behaviour’ rating to requires improvement as it was deemed attitudes to attendance were poor), but as you will see the stark reality of persistent absence is concerning in terms of children's learning.
Nationally, there is a strong pattern proving that pupils with persistent absence or general low attendance under perform compared with those who have good attendance.
I have recently undertaken a detailed analysis of the impact poor attendance has pupils’ attainment at Ashgate. The findings are plain to see.
This academic year to date:
Reading:
Writing:
Mathematics
This means that pupils who are persistently absent (less than 90% attendance) are at least twice as likely to underperform than those with fair/good attendance, and in the case of mathematics more than three times likely to underperform.
NOTE:
These figures do NOT include absences because of Covid isolations/restrictions.
Whilst we understand that there are occasions when absence is unavoidable and very legitimate, persistent absence is deeply damaging to a child’s opportunity to succeed . Persistent absence is not ‘normal’ and in its simplest form means your child is absent for 1 in 10 lessons or more. A medical practitioner would be concerned if a child was ill for 1 in every 10 days or more.
I often say to parents who are asked to speak to me because their child’s attendance is persistent, “if I said I could give your child an extra lesson for every 9 they currently have, do you think they would achieve much more?”. The answer is predictably ‘yes’. As a school, we offer this to all our persistent absentees in the form of our normal opening hours; the child simply has come to school.
May I take this opportunity to thank all those parents who ensure that their children attend school regularly. You are providing your child with every opportunity to succeed and are supported in this though a vibrant school curriculum that is delivered by excellent teachers and support staff.
Over the coming term, parents of children who are persistently absent will be contacted and requested to attend a meeting, in some cases with the Educational Welfare Officer. If you receives such a letter, it is vital that you communicate with us at your child is at significant risk of underperforming agains their potential.
As you are aware, we are big fans of pets and believe that animals provide a great opportunity for children to develop positive relationships and a nurturing nature.
Over the last few weeks we have seen an increasing number of parents arriving at school with dogs and I understand that the school run is a great opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
I ask that those taking the opportunity to walk dogs as part of the school drop off routine have consideration for others by not standing at the school gates with them or tying them up unattended.
Whilst we do have therapy pets in school, they are insured and risk assessed for suitability working with children, hence the exception for school approved therapy dogs.
Online activities off school site.
Whilst the risks associated to online access to social media is now generally well understood by parents and children alike, what is often not recognised is that online gaming is a platform by which children can communicate with others and others communicate with them.
As with texting on phones, late night or unsupervised access to such online resources can be a danger that goes unchecked.
The spectrum of risk
We do occasionally hear of parents who are not mindful of this and fail to monitor what, who and when children are communicating – or indeed what platforms allow this (including Fortnite, general PC online gaming and TikToc). On a lower level this means that the language, nature of discussions and social groupings are not overseen, and at a higher-level means those wishing harm to can have unsupervised access to children.
What is your child hearing?
One phrase I hear more regularly from parents when I address with them their child’s unacceptable language (swearing, sexual references and racist language amongst others) is, ‘Well I don’t know where they got that phrase from, they have not got it from home…’. I put it to many that whilst they may not hear the language from adults and general conversations in the home, they are likely to be hearing it under their headsets whilst they appear to be playing innocently with friends (and strangers!).
The unseen adult in your child’s bedroom
Frighteningly, the issue of adults posing as children to gain access to them, befriending and groom children through online gaming continues and is becoming an ever-increasing risk.
Note: In 2020, the police recorded over 10,000 ONLINE child related sex crimes for the first time and the risk is unlikely to diminish. (NSPCC)
For those adults that feel it is not their role to oversee and manage their child’s access to such platforms I put this to you:
You would not allow an adult posing as a child and whom you have never met to arrive unannounced at your door, walk them into your child’s bedroom late at night with a camera and recording device on the premiss that they ‘want to play’. Unmonitored online access can do just this – online gaming and social media profiles are a readily accessible, anonymous and difficult to trace route to children left alone.
Support in school
Children regularly receive online access safety messages / assemblies, and as a school we have a very strict monitoring and filtering system on our online facilities. We limit and monitor what resources children have access to and are ever mindful to highlight to all that what accessed is monitored and recorded. You, however, are unlikely to have this level of security in your home.
Here are a few tips for parents on kids’ internet safety