KS5 attendance

High attendance maximises pupils’ educational opportunities significantly. Research by The Department for Education has proven that poor attendance and punctuality disadvantages academic progress resulting in pupils not reaching the grades of which they are capable. For Sixth Form students, excellent attendance and punctuality are particularly important when considering applying for jobs, apprenticeships and university.

What does your child’s attendance percentage mean?

• Above 96% - Outstanding  
• 90-95% - Below Target - Attendance concern process begins to support students and parent to ensure it improves.
• Below 90% - Persistently Absent - Pupils with attendance below 90% are deemed to be persistently absent from school and this will have a considerably impact upon their progress. Attendance concern process will be supporting students and parents to ensure it improves.

Each academic year, every pupil is set a minimum target of attendance that is above 96%. We ask that you help us impress upon your child that each absence from school equals lost learning time. The table below highlights this: 

KS5 Punctuality to school

At Robert Clack School we expect our pupils to arrive at school every day on time; outstanding punctuality is just as important as excellent attendance. 

• 5 minutes late every day= 3 days of education lost 
• 10 minutes late every day= 6 days lost of education 
• 30 minutes late every day= 19 days lost of education this is the same as 90% attendance

Important KS5 attendance procedure:

1. Parents/carers are responsible for ensuring that pupils attend school regularly and punctually. They should:

• Inform the school as soon as is possible on the first day of absence, to explain the reason for the absence. When pupils are on work experience, parents/carers are expected to inform the school of their child’s absence in the usual way.
• Provide a written note of explanation when the pupil returns to school and medical evidence to avoid the absence being recorded as unauthorised.
• Inform the school when an appointment has been made during term time. Such appointments should be kept to a minimum and always requested outside of school time where possible. Evidence of these appointments will be required to support the child’s absence from school. If there are exceptional circumstances, please contact the school and a decision will be made in regards to the coding of this absence.
• Holidays during term-time are discouraged and permission is granted at the school’s discretion. Applications for term-time holidays should be made in writing to the Assistant Head teacher with responsibility for attendance.
• For religious observance please contact the school if your child will be absent and provide a note on their return.

2. When calling the school on the first day of your child’s absence please contact the school offices:

Mrs M. Registre – Sixth Form Attendance Officer - Upper School- 0208 270 4200 mregistre@robertclack.co.uk