School success starts with attendance.
At Greenfield Community College excellent attendance and punctuality is our aim for every student. Full attendance maximises learning opportunities and parents/carers have a vital role in promoting positive attitudes towards attendance. We ask for support from parents/carers to ensure that their children are present at every opportunity and routine appointments are not made during the school day.
Evidence shows that students who attend school regularly make better progress both academically and socially.
We monitor all students’ attendance closely and follow up unexplained absence with parents/carers by text, emails and/or telephone calls. Where a student’s attendance record reaches a concerning level, we will invite parents/carers into school to discuss ways in which we can support them and their child to improve their attendance.
Our minimum attendance target is 100%, and an expectation we have for all students. Every lesson counts and it is this commitment to learning that will have a positive effect on students’ examinations and their futures.
Persistent absence
Persistent absence is a serious problem for students. Much of the work children miss when they are off school is never made up, leaving these students at a considerable disadvantage.
A student defined as a ‘Persistent Absentee’ is one who misses 10% or more of school. The following table shows estimated cumulative absent session thresholds for around 10% absence (i.e. the time that students would be off for each half-term if all half-terms were of equal length).
| From September to… | 10% absence (persistent) |
|---|---|
| October | 3.5 days |
| December | 7 days |
| February | 10 days |
| March | 12.5 days |
| May | 16 days |
| July | 19 days |
For every day of school a student misses, it will reduce students attendance by 0.5%. Students are classed as persistently absent from school if their attendance is 90% or less, which equates to 20 days of learning missed, equivalent to 100 hours of learning.
| Attendance | Effect on results (per GCSE or equivalent) |
|---|---|
| 96 – 100% |
+1.4 (of a grade higher) |
| 92 – 95.9% | -0.7 (of a grade higher) |
| 90 – 91.9% | -1.5 (of a grade higher) |
| 85 – 89.9% | -1.9 (of a grade higher) |
| 80 – 84.9% | -2.7 (of a grade higher) |
| <80% | -3.3 (of a grade higher) |
What to do if your child has an appointment:
We ask that you make routine medical and other appointments out of school time, where possible. If this is not possible, we require notification in advance. Please telephone, email or provide a note from home alongside any appointment letter (if already received from your doctor) or alternatively a simple dated slip from your GP to confirm the appointment.
Leave of Absence including term-time holidays
Amendments came into force September 2013 to the Education Regulations 2006 and now state that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.
There is a common misconception that any child is allowed to take 10 days’ holiday per year. This is not true. The government strongly urges parents/carers to avoid taking their children out of school for family holidays as this will disrupt their education.
Absence will not be authorised for reasons such as holidays.
Only exceptional circumstances warrant an authorised leave of absence. Parents/carers should make any request well in advance and in writing (a LOA form is available from the school reception). Requests for absence for reasons such as compassionate leave, special family events, sporting or musical competitions, etc., should be made in the same way.
All requests are considered individually, taking into account the circumstances of the request. Other factors will be taken into account, such as:
- the time of year the student will be absent
- the attendance record of the student
- the number of previous requests for leave of absence
- the student’s ability to catch up
Parents will be notified of the school’s decision either by telephone or in writing.
