Attendance is one of the main areas we are working on as part of our school improvement plan.
For the past two years, understandably, our attendance figures have dropped considerably as a result of national lockdowns, school closures, periods of self isolation and class bubble closures.
Things improved to a certain extent during 2021/2 when the government guidelines shifted to allow class bubbles to continue working even when a member of that class tested positive for COVID-19.
However, we are still some way below the figures we were achieving before the start of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Now that national restrictions are being lifted, we want to return to an embedded culture that school attendance is non-negotiable and that pupil illness only should be a reason for staying at home.
So far this school year, since 1st September 2021, up to 22nd February 2022 our whole school attendance figure currently stands at…
93.4%
We are aiming to achieve an attendance figure of
97.0%
97% attendance equates to 3% absence. With 190 school days within the year, 3% absence is the same as SIX DAYS OFF per year. That’s only one day each half term. Currently, only 35% — approximately one-third of the school — have at least 97% attendance.
Individual children who drop to an attendance figure of 90% are classed as persistent absentees and our Education Welfare Officer will become involved. Currently, 23% — almost one quarter of the school — have less than 90.0% attendance.
An Education Welfare Officer, known as an EWO, is a local government official whose job is to make sure all school-age children are sufficiently educated.