Dear Parents/Carers,
I am writing to introduce myself as Gillingham School’s new attendance officer. I have lived in the local community for many years and my own children attended Gillingham School, so it was with great excitement that I started my new role in September.
As well as introducing myself, I thought it would be a good idea to remind you all of the expectations the school has around attendance.
At Gillingham school we recognise the strong links between attendance, academic progress and social relationships. Pupils need to attend school regularly to benefit from their education. The school’s expectation for good attendance is 95% or above. This would equate to missing just 10 days over the whole year. Persistent absence or PA is defined as an attendance figure of 90% (19 days absent) or below and is likely to significantly impact your child’s learning. Not only that, missing out on lessons leaves children and young people vulnerable to falling behind. School is not just about learning, by forging relationships with their peers and teachers, children and young people learn valuable skills which in turn, support them later in life.
So what does this mean and can poor attendance affect my child’s exam results? Statistics show that pupils who miss 17 or more days from school can drop a full GCSE grade across all subjects. This can affect applications for College and University places too. We recognise that not everyone aspires to attend University but employers will have the same expectation for their staff to attend work regularly.
Over the years while my children were at school, I worked in many education settings, most recently for Somerset Council supporting school attendance throughout the county. Both of my children attended Gillingham School so I understand the pressures that parents face especially when trying to juggle work with family life. We at Gillingham School endeavour to support all young people and their parents when facing these difficulties.
Lateness. Does this matter? Yes it does, when your child is persistently late this disrupts the whole class, they can miss important additional learning support or instructions, often delivered at the start of the day. Arriving late at school may be embarrassing for your child. If your child is to form friendship groups, social interaction with peers arriving on time for school is important. Your child could also lose that all important present mark if they arrive after the register closes, therefore, affecting their attendance.
Term time holidays. Head teachers may not grant leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Parents will need to complete an online application for leave of absence form and email back to the school. A reason of unable to go on holiday in the summer due to cost is not exceptional circumstances. If the leave of absence is not authorised, the school can then request a fine to be issued by Dorset Council.
Did you know that you can access your child attendance at any time using Edulink? By monitoring this App you can see when your child is late or absent and if they have been registered. This is a great recent addition to our school by allowing parents to check attendance, access letters and book parent evening meetings. If you are unsure how to use Edulink please see the below link with handy tips or alternatively contact us at the school and we can show you.
If you have any worries or queries regarding attendance, please do not hesitate to contact the school office and ask to speak to Lisa Hogg. I look forward to working with you!
Useful links to forms and information:
Yours faithfully,
Lisa Hogg
Attendance Officer
