Impact of Absences

Being absent from school reduces the number of lessons a pupil will attend for every subject. The tables below show the significant impact absences have on teaching and learning.

How many lessons will a pupil miss based on weekly absences?

Number of days absent per week	Number of lessons missed per week	Number of lessons missed per month
One day	7	28
Two days	14	56
Three days	21	84

 

How many lessons will a pupil miss a year based on monthly absences?

Number of days absent per month	Number of lessons missed per academic year
Three days	231
Five days	385
Ten days	770

 

Arriving late to School

If a pupil arrives late to school in the morning or to class during the day, important events such as assemblies, teacher instructions and the handing out of resources can be missed.

The table below indicates how frequent late coming equates to a significant amount of missed teaching.

Minutes late per day	Approximate number of days teaching lost per year	Approximate number of lessons missed per year
Five minutes	3	19
Ten minutes	5 ½	38
Fifteen minutes	8	57

 

 

Attendance percentage breakdown

75% attendance across 4 years results in a pupil missing one full teaching year by the end of fouth year.

90% attendance means that a pupil is absent from lessons for the equivalent of one-half day every week. Over five years, this is the equivalent of approximately one half of a school year.

An average attendance of 90% can significantly hinder future opportunities both within further education and the workforce. Every school day and every lesson is important, make them count!