Attendance
Should I send my child to school?
Sometimes it can be difficult to know whether you should send your child to school when they are feeling a little unwell. The Government have worked with the NHS to produce some guidance on when you should and shouldn’t send your child to school when they are experiencing a range of symptoms. They have also produced an overview of everything you would need to know about school attendance. Please find this guidance in the links below:
At Haybridge we aim for all students to attend 100% of the time. There is strong statistical evidence to show that students who have excellent attendance are more successful in school and achieve to a significantly higher standard. The table below highlights the link between attendance and lost learning.
If your attendance across the academic year is… | You will miss this many days | And this many lessons |
95% | 10 | 50 |
90% | 19 | 95 |
85% | 29 | 145 |
80% | 39 | 195 |
75% | 49 | 245 |
70% | 58 | 290 |
Students with below 90% attendance:
- Achieved on average 1.5 grades lower in each subject compared to other students
- Made below national average progress whereas other students achieved almost a grade above national average in terms of progress
- 30% achieved a grade 4 or better in English and Mathematics compared to over 90% for students with above 90% attendance
- 20% achieved a grade 5 or better in English and Mathematics compared to almost 80% for students with above 90% attendance
- Achieved on average 1.5 grades lower in Mathematics
- Achieved on average 1 grade lower in English
But attendance is important for more than just attainment:
- Regular school attendance can facilitate positive peer relationships, which is a protective factor for mental health and wellbeing.
We realise that there are occasions when students cannot attend school because they are ill, injured, have suffered a close family bereavement, or something of a similar nature. At these times we fully understand their absence and would always be completely supportive. However, there are occasions when students are absent with minor complaints when they perhaps could be in school. It is on these occasions where we ask for your support in getting your child into school to ensure they have the greatest chance of achieving to their full potential. If you have any worries or concerns about your child, please contact their Head of Year so we can ensure appropriate provision is in place for them.
In order that we might be sure of the whereabouts and safety of our students we ask that parents/carers contact the school by 9.00am on the morning of the first day of absence to notify us of the reason for the absence (Absence Mailbox telephone number is 01562 886213) or email attendance@haybridge.worcs.sch.uk for lower school and Sixth Form.
In line with safeguarding requirements, parents/carers are asked to contact school on each day of any subsequent absence. Where reasons for absence are inadequate or not received, we may choose to unauthorise absences.
The Importance of Punctuality
The school day begins at 8.45am – all students should be on the school site by this time. By 8.50am students should be in their line up position. Students who arrive after the whistle at 8.50am will be placed into a late-to-school detention at lunchtime the same day for 15 minutes.
Movement between lessons should be fast so that no valuable lesson time is wasted. Lessons begin with a retrieval knowledge activity that will be needed for the lesson – this is vital to the sequence of the curriculum and to your child’s progress through that curriculum. If students are late to lessons frequently, they will receive a detention. Further support will be put in place for students who are persistently late to school and/or lessons.
The reason why we have high expectations for punctuality is outlined in the table below.
Minutes late per day | School days lost | Lessons lost |
5 | 3.4 | 17 |
10 | 6.9 | 35 |
15 | 10.3 | 51 |
20 | 13.8 | 69 |
30 | 20.7 | 104 |
If you would or your child would like to discuss attendance please contact the Head of Year by emailing pastoralquery@haybridge.worcs.sch.uk.