Raising Attendance, Raising Achievement!

Why is good attendance important? Attending school is a legal requirement. For every 17 days absence from school, a pupil can drop one GCSE grade or equivalent. 21% of pupils with very poor attendance leave school with no qualifications compared to 3% of pupils who have regular attendance.

What is good attendance? This is Sam. He is in year 7 and his attendance is 90%. He thinks this is pretty good and so do his parents! WHAT DO YOU THINK?

? What does 90% look like? 90% = ½ day missed each week! Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri ?

Looking Closer….. 1 school year at 90% attendance = 4 whole weeks of lessons MISSED!!! 38 school weeks Sep July FEB ?

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

What does this mean for Sam? His grades will be affected. WHICH MEANS He may not be accepted into the college or training course of his choice. AND THEN He will find it difficult to get the job he wants. WHICH THEN MEANS His potential salary will be greatly reduced.

What could Sam’s salary look like? Further qualifications £25.50 per hour Level 3 £15.00 per hour GCSE’s/levels ½ £12.00 per hour no qualifications £3.73 per hour 16-17 yr old minimum wage Potential average per hour Qualifications

Court By law it’s parents’ responsibility to make sure pupils attend school. If attendance falls below 80% parents can be at risk of being taken to court

Key Messages! It is never too late to improve attendance. Good attendance = Good attainment. Good attainment = Future choices.