Illness and Persistent Absence
Did you know that if your child has 2 days off this term, they will be considered as persistently absent?
Persistently absent is where your child’s attendance falls below 96%.
Attendance to school has a significant impact on your child’s success in life. In many cases where attendance is lower, this can negatively impact a child both academically and socially and emotionally. By missing school, children can miss key learning and opportunities to socialise and build friendships with their peers.
As a school, we understand that at this time of year, there are many illnesses going around and appreciate that keeping children well and healthy during the winter months can be a challenge. However, as a school, we have a duty of care to inform you of concerns regarding your child’s attendance. New legislation in place for schools, means that we have a legal obligation to report cases of persistent absence from school to the local authority, which may result in a fine or meetings with the local authority attendance officer.
Your child's attendance impacts progress academically, as well as socially; it is our shared priority.
- 95% attendance = 9 days of missed learning
- 90% attendance = 19 days of missed learning
- 85% attendance = 28 days of missed learning
- 80% attendance = 38 days of missed learning
We guide you to refer to the NHS illness information if you are unsure whether you should send your child to school or speak to a member of the attendance team, who will be more than happy to work with you to ensure your child is best supported and happily attending school.
NHS illness information: Is My Child Too Ill For School?
