Good qualifications, understanding responsibility, making friends and the chance to grow as an individual are all important ingredients in a child’s educational experience. For this to happen children need to attend school regularly.
Children with poor attendance may fall behind with school work and will attract the attention of the Attendance Officer. In extreme cases parents can face prosecution and substantial fines for failing to ensure that their children attend school.
How can I help my child to get the best out of school?
- Be aware of the impact of regular absences - missing school is missing out.
- Don’t let your child stay off for reasons like going shopping, birthdays, minding the house, looking after brothers and sisters.
- Try to avoid taking family holidays in term time.
- Try to make non-urgent medical and dental appointments out of school time.
- Be involved with your child’s education and school - ask questions.
- Build up good habits of punctuality and attendance.
- If your child recovers from illness before the end of the week, send them back to school even if it’s only for one day - every day counts.
Did you know?
90% attendance sounds good, but means that your child misses on average:
- One half day every week.
- Nearly four weeks every school year.
- Over one school year in a school career.
2 weeks holiday in term time every year with no other absences means that your child:
- Can only ever achieve 95% attendance
- Will miss about two terms in a school career