At St John Plessington Catholic College we expect high levels of attendance and punctuality from all of our students. We believe that regular school attendance is central to raising standards in education and to improving the life chances of all children. Regular attendance at school enables children to gain maximum benefit from the range of educational and wider opportunities available to them, helping to build self-esteem and resilience. There is a clear link between attendance and attainment and we expect all pupils to achieve at least 97% attendance. Excellent attendance is regularly recognised and rewarded throughout the year at St John Plessington. The chart below illustrates how much learning time is lost with increasing numbers of days absent.
The DfE reports that students with the highest attendance throughout their time in school gain the best GCSE and A Level results. On average pupils with an attendance percentage between 90% - 92.9% are at risk of dropping 1 GCSE grade and pupils with below 90% attendance are at risk of a 2 GCSE grade drop compared to their peers.
Your child will be encouraged to record their attendance in their planner every half term and to set themselves targets to improve their attendance throughout the year.
You can help by talking to them about their attendance and encouraging them to value every day at school.
Punctuality
When children arrive late and miss the start of the school day, they can miss work and vital information for the day. Late arriving pupils also disrupt lessons, and this can be embarrassing and upsetting for the child. Lateness can also encourage absence, as some pupils would rather not attend school at all, than arrive late.
The school gate closes promptly at 8:35am to ensure pupils are in form by 8:40am, ready for the start of the school day. If your child arrives after 8:35am they will need to enter the school via the canteen entrance where they will be registered with a late mark and issued a lunchtime detention for that day in line with our behaviour policy.
If lateness becomes a regular occurrence, it will be treated in the same way as unauthorised absence, with parents/carers being contacted and invited into school to discuss the situation.
The chart below illustrates how much learning time is lost by attending school late.
Reporting Student Absence
Contact the school on the first morning of your child’s absence by 8:45am stating your child’s full name, registration group and an explanation for their absence and continue to contact the school on each day that the absence continues.You can contact us by phone, email or in person. (Phone: 0151 645 5049 Option 1; Email: schooloffice@stjohnplessington.com).
This information is used to help determine whether children’s absence is recorded in the register as authorised or unauthorised. If your child is deemed too unwell to attend school then you must inform school with the reason for the absence as soon as possible,
If parents do not communicate with school, and staff are unable to establish contact an automated text will be sent to request contact and the absence will be recorded as unauthorised.
When pupils are having repeat absences due to reported illness, we will request more evidence and advice to help decide whether or not the absence should be authorised, and to see whether any additional support is required.
Medical appointments should be made outside school hours whenever possible, please inform school in advance of any medical appointments that cannot be scheduled out of school time. Pupils should only be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary for the appointment and are expected to attend school before and/or after the appointment. For absence to be authorised as a medical absence, schools do require evidence, such as the following:
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GP certificate
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Letter from health professional
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Appointment card / letter (dated)
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Prescription / Medication in the name of the child
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Text message from GP or NHS confirming an appointment
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Care of the chemist – date stamped slip to show medical advice has been sought
Leave of Absence During Term Time
Leave of Absence during term time, will only be granted in special or exceptional circumstances. Holidays are not exceptional circumstances and will not be authorised. If you need to apply for Leave of Absence during term time you will need to complete a Leave of Absence Request Form below or can be collected from reception. To allow the school the necessary processing time this must be completed and written for the attention of the Headteacher at least two weeks weeks before your requested time off.
Any period of leave taken without the agreement of the school, or in excess of that agreed, will be classed as unauthorised and may attract sanctions such as an Education Penalty Notice.
We appreciate your continued support by ensuring your child attends school each day and on time. Working together we can continue to improve standards, outcomes and experiences for all of our young people.