Attendance and Absence

Thank you for letting us know why your child is absent from school. To help you keep track,  we will text you on a regular basis to let you know how many days your child has been absent this session. The table lets you see how absences can impact on your child’s learning.

COVID isolations are not included in this total.

If you require support with your child’s absence please contact the office on 0300 300 0196.

ATTENDANCE
100% Attendance	0 Days Missed	Excellent
95% Attendance	9 Days of Absence   1 week and 4 days of learning missed	Satisfactory	Gives your child the best chance of success and gets them off to a flying start
90% Attendance	19 Days of Absence   3 weeks and 4 days of learning missed	Poor
85% Attendance	27 Days of Absence   5 weeks and 2 days of learning missed	Very Poor	Makes it harder for your child to make the progress they are capable of
80% Attendance	36 Days of Absence   7 weeks and 1 day of learning missed – approximately half a term	Cause for Concern
75% Attendance	45 Days of Absence   9 weeks of learning missed – almost a whole term
TIMEKEEPING
5 minutes late each day	3 days lost each year	Every minute counts!   Your child will always receive a warm welcome and arriving late is always better than and unnecessary day absent.
10 minutes late each day	6 days lost each year
15 minutes late each day	Almost 2 weeks lost each year

 

It is the responsibility of parents of a child of school age to make sure that their child is educated. Attendance is recorded twice a day, morning and afternoon.

Please let the office know why your child is absent and in this case the absence from school is recorded as authorised.  If no contact is made, the absent will be recorded as unauthorised, that is unexplained by the parent .

Contact procedures

If a child is absent from school, parents are required to phone or email the school office by 9.30 am on the first day. If no telephone call or email is received, parents will automatically receive a text message asking them to phone the school immediately.

If an absence is planned, please inform the school office.

If your child requires to leave early for any reason, please contact the school office in advance. Your child will not be permitted to leave early unless collected by an authorised adult. If at the end of the school day, for any reason, a child is not collected at his/her usual meeting place he/she must return to the building and report to the office immediately. Please ensure that your child understands this arrangement.

Please make every effort to avoid family holidays during term time as this disrupts the child’s education and reduces learning time. The head teacher can approve absence from school for a family holiday in certain extreme situations, for example, in traumatic domestic circumstances where the holiday would improve the cohesion and wellbeing of the family.

Please discuss your plans with the head teacher before the holiday. If the head teacher does not give permission before the holiday, it will be recorded as unauthorised absence. The head teacher may also exercise discretion when a parent can prove that work commitments make a family holiday impossible during school holiday times. Normally, your employer will need to provide evidence of your work commitments. Absence approved by the head teacher on this basis is regarded as authorised absence.

Parents from minority ethnic religious communities may request that their children be permitted to be absent from school to celebrate recognised religious events. Absence approved by the head teacher on this basis is regarded as authorised absence. Extended leave can also be granted on request for families returning to their country of origin for cultural or care reasons.

A supportive approach is taken to unexplained absence. However the education authority has legal powers to write to, interview or prosecute parents, or refer pupils to the Reporter to the Children’s Panel, if necessary.

Attendance and Absence Data

Absence rates are calculated as a percentage of the total number of possible attendances for all pupils of the school in the stage shown. Each morning and each afternoon of each school day is considered as a separate possible attendance.

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT: WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

• Be aware of the impact of regular absences – missing school is missing out.

• Take family holidays outside term time.

• Try to arrange non-urgent dental and medical appointments outside school hours and if an appointment must be made within school hours, try to ensure your child is back at school as soon as possible.

• Establish a good routine in the mornings and evenings so your child is prepared for the school day ahead; build-up good habits of punctuality and attendance.

• Be involved with your child’s education and school – ask questions.

• Inform the school if your child is absent due to illness or other reason.

• Discuss any problems or difficulties with the school: staff are there to help and will be supportive.

What should I do if my child is anxious or worried about going to school?

Your child has a right to an education and to be safe and happy at school. But sometimes children and young people can be anxious or worried about going to school due to many possible reasons. You may feel letting your child stay off school is an effective option, but unfortunately, this will not help find a solution. It’s important to talk to the school if this kind of problem arises. Your first point of contact should be the school. However there are also a number of agencies and services that can provide you with professional help and advice.

SUPPORT, INFORMATION AND ADVICE

ParentLine Scotland

At some time all parents find that parenting can be difficult or stressful. ParentLine Scotland is the free, confidential, telephone helpline for anyone caring for a child in Scotland. You can call about any problem, however big or small.Phone: 0808 800 2222. On line at: www.children1st.org.uk/parentline-scotland

Parentzone

Parentzone provides information for parents and cares about how you can support your child’s education. On line at: www.educationscotland.gov.uk/parentzone

Childline

Children and young people can get confidential help about any question, concern or worry.Phone: 08001111. On line at: www.childline.org.uk

Citizen Advice Bureau

Your local CAB can provide information and support about rights and responsibilities when it comes to schools and education.Information and advice on lots of areas at: www.adviceguide.org.uk where you can also find your local CAB.

Enquire

Enquire is the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning and operates a helpline for parents, carers and practitioners. An interpreter can be arranged upon request. Telephone helpline Phone: 0845 123 2303. E-mail: info@enquire.org.uk On line at: www.enquire.org.uk

National Parent Forum of Scotland

Provides parents with information and advice on understanding the new curriculum and supporting their child’s education. On line at: www.parentforumscotland.org