'If you are here, you learn!'

ATTENDANCE MATTERS! ATTENDANCE MATTERS!

 “Last year children who were BELOW 90% attendance (more than 18 days off )only had a 40% chance of working at or above their age   related expectation.”

“Last year children who were BELOW 96% attendance (more than 7 days off) only had a 60% chance of working at or above their age related expectation.”

“Those children who were ABOVE 96% attendance (less than 7 days off) had an 87% chance of working at or above age related expectation.”

So if your attendance is less than 90% you are very, very, very likely to be working BELOW.

So if your attendance is less than 96% you are likely to be working BELOW.

If your attendance is more than 96% you are very, very, very, very likely to be working AT or ABOVE! 

Low cost holidays = High cost to learning

Changes to Attendance 2024

The previous Government published statutory guidance for schools and local authorities in 2023, has now been updated for September 2024.

Within the Working Together to Improve School Attendance document it stipulates:

1. how we should record attendance
2. how schools and local authorities monitor attendance
3. the legal interventions a school must use when a child doesn't attend school.

The Department for Education have significantly toughened the law in relation to school attendance.

The information shared below sumerises the key points from the statutory guidance. Please ensure you read the following information and particularly review any holiday plans during term-time you may have as a family.

Under the new national framework, Fixed Penalty Notices will be considered when a child has missed ten or more sessions (five days) due to unauthorised absence in a period of ten school weeks.

• In September 2024, Penalty Notices (fines) charged to parents will rise to £80 (if paid within 21 days) or £160 (if paid within between 22 and 28 days).
• Where a penalty notice is unpaid, legal action would be pursued.
• Under the new framework, only two penalty notices can be issued to the same parent for the same child within a three-year rolling period. Where a second Penalty Notice is issued to the same parent for the same child, the charge will be £160.
• If a third offence is committed within a three-year rolling period, legal action/ prosecution would be considered.

All schools across the country are duty bound to enact this statutory guidance.

At Rift House Primary School, we have worked with many families to help improve a children’s attendance. Our preferred method, always, is to work with families. I sincerely hope we can continue to do this into the next academic year...and beyond.

HOLIDAYS HURT!!!

 REMEMBER - October Holidays 

All PD days this year are now blocked. Therefore our October half term will be for 2 weeks from 23rd October to return to school on 6th November 2023.

SO... DO NOT TAKE TERM-TIME HOLIDAYS!!!

 Attendance is not just about pupils missing days from school, regular late marks also affect a child's attendance too!

5 minutes late = 3 days lost

10 minutes late = 6.5 days lost

15 minutes late = 10 days lost

20 minutes late = 13 days lost

30 minutes late = 19 days lost

Lost Minutes = Lost Learning