Raise Your Chances! Get your attendance right! What does “Good Attendance” mean?

“When a child is registered at a particular school, the law requires them to attend all 380 half-day sessions in a school year. (except for EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES)” Department for Education

So, allowing for EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES … All students in an English school should have at least 95% attendance = 19 half day absences a year

Up until September, 2015, a student in an English school had a label of ‘persistent absentee’ if their attendance fell below 85% CHANGE TO THE LAW Since September, 2015, students are now ‘persistent absentees’ if their attendance falls below 90%.

What happens if a student becomes a ‘persistent absentee’? Possibility of parents being fined, or even sent to prison, if their child’s attendance doesn’t improve. Involvement of an Education Welfare Officer. Regular school meetings with student and parents. Close monitoring of the reasons for absence.

Why has the Government changed the %? Why is the Government saying that 90% attendance is now a cause for concern, rat her than 85%?

This is Dixie. She is in Year 10 and has 90% attendance. Some people might think this sounds OK.

HOWEVER ….. 90% attendance = ½ day missed every week!! When you start work, your boss won’t allow you to be off this much. MonTueWedThurFri? Absent half a day every week

Looking a little closer….. 1 school year at 90% attendance = 4 whole weeks of lessons MISSED!!! 38 school weeks Sept July ? Absent for 4 weeks

90% attendance over 5 years of secondary school…. = ½ a school year missed! Sept July Y7 Y8 Y9 ½ a year absent from school Y10 Y11

What impact might this have on Dixie’s life……? Research suggests that 17 missed school days a year = a GCSE grade DROP in achievement. (DfES) The greater the attendance the greater the achievement.

Secondary School Key Stage 4 Performance by Average Absence Sessions days 7.5 to 10 days 10 to 12.5 days 12.5 to 15 days 15 to 17.5 days 17.5 to 20 days 20+ days Average No. of Sessions Absence per student % 5 or more grades A-C % achieving any qualification % achieving

“Students with no absence from school were nearly 3 times more likely to get 5 A*-C grades at GCSE. Even a low number of absences can affect grades - the students with the best grades tended to be those who didn't ever miss school.” Daily Mirror – February 2015

What could your potential average earnings look like? Qualifications Potential Earnings average per hour No qualifications £7.44 per hour. 5GCSE’s £9.02 per hour. Post-16 qualification qualification£10.25 per hour Graduate degree £15.01 per hour

So, 90% attendance is not as good as it might sound.

You need your attendance to be at least 95% throughout the year So, what can you do to make sure you achieve 100% attendance, or at least 95%?

What your attendance % is. Your Achievement Mentor will be able to provide you with this information during your morning meetings.

or you need to talk to someone about reasons for your absence, TALK TO YOUR ACHIEVEMENT MENTOR.

Only take days off for genuine serious illness. (you will know!!)

The Government has said Headteacher’s should not allow students to take holidays in term time.

When you are absent from school, your friends are still here. You will miss out on being with them.

Every time you miss a day of school, you miss important work and it is sometimes very difficult to catch u p. HOWEVER You will have to

when you apply for College, we have to include your attendance print-out in your reference. This shows exactly how many days you have attended school. Solihull College Reference Form ATTENDANCE The student has attended all classes The student has missed some classes The student has missed a significant number of classes

Attend and Achieve! If you can improve your attendance by 1%, you will see a 5-6% improvement in achievement. (Department for Education and Skills) If you can improve your attendance by 1%, you will see a 5-6% improvement in achievement. (Department for Education and Skills) Get your attendance above 95% and achieve your potential. Get your attendance above 95% and achieve your potential. Achieve 100% attendance during a term and receive a certificate that you can show to colleges/workplaces, as well enough chocolate or sweets to fill you up!

and finally, finally… Great qualifications Great qualifications Lots of opportunities Lots of opportunities A better future lifestyle A better future lifestyle Better friendships Better friendships Good attendance =