Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you for your support in promoting great attendance.

Excellent attendance and punctuality are important for success at school and also for building positive behaviours required for future success. Strong attendance helps student to:

• achieve great outcomes,

• build friendships and develop social groups,

• develop life skills,

• engage in essential learning and other school social events.

At Co-op Academy Priesthorpe, we are committed to providing the best possible education for every student, and this is only possible when they are present in the classroom.

Our school attendance target is 96% or higher. To achieve 96% attendance, a student would only have 8 days of absence across the whole school year. Missing school has a long term impact on pupils' outcomes and their wider experiences.

According to Department for Education research, missing just 10 days of school in Year 11 halves a student's chances of achieving a Grade 5 or above in English and Maths, and students with over 95% attendance are almost twice as likely to secure these crucial benchmark grades compared to those attending between 90% and 95%

 

Attendance during one school year	Equals this number to days	Which is approximately this many absent weeks	Which means this number of lessons missed
95%	9	2 weeks	50 lessons
90%	19	4 weeks	100 lessons
85%	29	6 weeks	150 lessons
80%	38	8 weeks	200 lessons

 

This letter aims to highlight the importance of strong attendance and the impact of absence. 

Morning registers must close 30 minutes after the school day daily (9:00 am Mon, Wed and Fri and 9:30am Tues and Thurs). If your child arrives after this time, they will be marked with an unauthorised absence code for the morning session, and this will affect their attendance figure.

Parents should report any absence to the school via phone call or email before 9:00.am. (0113 257 4115 /prie-attendance@coopacademies.co.uk)   Parents should provide the child’s full name, year group and reason for absence. Parents should contact the school for each day a child will not be attending school.

If the school is not notified of the absence, parents will be contacted through our Arbor absence text messaging service before 10:00 am. This will be followed up with a phone call to request the reason for absence.

 

Will my Child’s Absence Be Authorised?

 

AUTHORISED			UNAUTHORISED
	An absence for sickness for which the school has granted leave.			Students who are absent from school without reason.
	Medical or dental appointments which unavoidably fall during school time. Please provide evidence of this appointment.			Truancy before or during the school day.
				Arrival at school after registration has closed).
	Religious or cultural observances
	An absence due to a family emergency.			Absence due to shopping, looking after other children or birthdays.
	Sporting events, music assessments and competitions (Headteacher’s approval is required).
				Mild student illness may be unauthorised.
				Holidays

 

To support great attendance we will run attendance and incentives and rewards through the year to encourage all students to have great attendance.

We closely monitor the attendance of all students. If your child's attendance falls below our 96% target, you may be contacted by our Attendance Team or a member of the Pastoral Team to discuss the situation and explore how we can support you and your child. We may implement a support plan to help improve attendance.

Please be aware that persistent unauthorised absences can lead to more serious interventions, including fines and, in extreme cases, legal action.

Working Together for Your Child's Future

Regular school attendance is a legal requirement and a shared responsibility. We are here to support you and your child. If you are facing any difficulties that are affecting your child's attendance, please do not hesitate to contact us. We can work together to find a solution.

Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to your child's education.

For up coming events, visit our website- https://www.priesthorpe.coopacademies.co.uk/calendar/?calid=1&pid=7&viewid=1 

Sincerely,

Louise Pratt

Principal