Attendance at archbishop beck
Mrs S Daniels
Deputy Headteacher
Designated Attendance Lead
Mr I Daly
Assistant Headteacher
Punctuality Lead
Miss P Sutton
Attendance Officer
Ms H Walsh
Student Family Support Officer
Miss J Phillips
Student Family Support Officer
Mrs C Gibson
Sixth Form Attendance
Mrs J Hazell
Attendance Administrator
Mrs E Langley
Progress Manager
Attendance Support
At Archbishop Beck Catholic College, outstanding attendance and punctuality are central to our expectations for every student. Regular attendance maximises learning opportunities, and parents and carers play a vital role in fostering positive attitudes towards school attendance.
We ask for the full support of parents and carers in ensuring that students attend school every day, arrive on time, and are not kept at home unnecessarily or taken out of school without authorisation. Evidence consistently shows that students who attend school regularly achieve stronger academic outcomes and develop more positively both socially and emotionally. For this reason, attendance is closely monitored and reviewed for all pupils.
Research demonstrates a clear link between the amount of time missed from school and academic performance. As a result, the College has set a minimum attendance target of 97% or above for all students. Every lesson matters, and sustained commitment to learning has a significant impact on examination success and future opportunities. With 190 school days in each academic year, there are ample opportunities outside of term time for holidays, shopping, celebrations, and non-urgent medical or dental appointments. Consequently, absences for these reasons will not be authorised.
In line with Department for Education guidance, schools are responsible for determining whether an absence is authorised. Where absence is infrequent and not a cause for concern, illness-related absence will generally be authorised. However, if a pattern of frequent absence emerges and there are concerns about the impact on learning, the College may require clear medical evidence of an ongoing condition and confirmation that appropriate medical advice has been sought before authorising further absence due to illness.
We recognise that children may be unwell from time to time and that there can occasionally be exceptional circumstances which result in absence from school. However, we ask parents and carers to consider carefully whether it is necessary for their child to be absent. There is a well-established link between regular school attendance and academic achievement, and absence from school has a proven negative impact on a child’s educational outcomes. Furthermore, regular attendance plays an important role in safeguarding, as evidence shows that pupils who truant are more likely to become involved in crime or anti-social behaviour.
Poor attendance is defined as the loss of at least 10 sessions (equivalent to five school days) due to unauthorised absence. An absence is recorded as unauthorised when a valid reason has not been provided by the parent or carer. The College closely monitors attendance and works proactively with families to provide support and guidance where attendance is a concern. Where a student has 10 consecutive sessions of unauthorised absence, an Education Penalty Notice may be issued in line with local authority guidance.
Students whose attendance falls below 90% are classified as Persistent Absentees. In these cases, the College will scrutinise the reasons for absence more closely and, without appropriate medical evidence, will not authorise further periods of absence.
Attendance at school is important as it builds key skills for our young people. As they enter adult life and the workplace, they will be expected to be present and punctual. Regular attendance will support students to;
- Achieve stronger academic outcomes
- Build meaningful friendships
- Maintain positive routines
- Grow in confidence , independence, and resilience
We recognise how important attendance is and reward students as much as possible. Pupils who have consistently good attendance will be rewarded. We currently have a weekly draw for a £20 Just Eat voucher. 100% attendance for that week is what is required to qualify for entry into the draw. The College also regularly uses Queue Jump Passes for students who regularly attend or have improved. End of term draws also take place for students who have 100% attendance for that period.
A weekly Registration Group is also rewarded with a treat – this could be for a variety of reasons; highest attendance for that week, most improved attendance, consistently good attendance, reduction in the number of Persistently Absentees. There are also end of term rewards that students can attend if they have good attendance. These range from Film Afternoons and Bingo!
Where no information has been received, the college will contact parents by text, telephone or a home visit to enquire regarding the absence.
Parents are requested to send any information regarding absence if this is available. This could be an appointment card, a copy of a prescription, an email of a medical appointment including the NHS appointment. Failure to provide this may result in the absence being marked as unauthorised.
Is my child too ill for school?
If your child is feeling under the weather, it can be hard to know if you should send them to school or not. Unless they have a temperature of 38 degrees or above, they’re usually good to go. Whilst we do not want any child who is genuinely ill to come to school, your child should come in if they have, for example, a runny nose, headache or stomachache. The College will always contact you if your child is unwell so please make sure we have up to date contact details. Please see NHS Guidance “Is my child too ill for school”
0151 525 6326 (option 1)
attendance@beck.uk.com
Did you know…?
Children with good attendance are more than twice as likely to pass their English and Maths GCSEs compared to those who are persistently absent.
For Parents . . .
For Students . . .
See our Attendance Newsletters
Punctuality at archbishop beck
Lost Minutes = Lost Learning
We want all students to have outstanding punctuality records. Being on time to school each morning and on time to each lesson gives students the best chance of succeeding and helps form good habits for later life. There is a clear link between attendance & punctuality and attainment in school.
Government statistics have highlighted the importance of punctuality with evidence pointing out that the higher the number of lessons missed in Key Stages 2, 3 and 4, the lower the level of attainment of students.
The figures showed that 83.7% of students with excellent attendance & punctuality records achieved grades 9-4 in English and Maths whereas only 35.6% of students with poor attendance and punctuality records achieved the same 9-4 grades at GCSE.
It is estimated that…
It is also estimated that 17 days missed from school per year will result in 1 whole grade being dropped in a student’s GCSEs.
These figures clearly highlight the importance of excellent attendance & punctuality and at Archbishop Beck Catholic College we strive to uphold high standards of punctuality for all our students. Our new Punctuality Policy can be viewed here, and this outlines the expectations we have of staff, students, and parents/guardians. It also explains the escalation process for students who fail to meet the expectations as well as the rewards available to those with excellent punctuality.
Support
Young Minds is the UK’s leading young person and children’s mental health charity and their website offers fantastic support for students and parents in all aspects of mental health and well-being as well as specific advice on dealing with anxiety and school refusal Young Minds
The Children’s Commissioner aims to hear from children and young people across the country and the website offers a wide range of resources and reports relating to school issues Children’s Commissioner for England
Students may find the BBC Bitesize website useful to help catch-up on any missed school-work as they endeavour to improve their attendance & punctuality records BBC Bitesize
Gingerbread is a registered charity that offers a range of support for single parent families including a helpline number Gingerbread
Action for Children is a registered charity working towards improving life for children in the UK whose website offers an online parenting hub to provide advice and support for parents Action For Children