From the first day of term to the last, the small moments in a school day make a real difference to your child…
Improving school attendance is everyone’s business and, to tackle the challenge we face, we need to work together. The Government has launched a national campaign, aimed at parents and carers, on the importance of school attendance.
Our goal is to create a nurturing and afirmative bond between parents and school, emphasising the pivotal role attendance has in enhancing their child’s overall wellbeing.
At The Radclyffe School it is our intention is to guide parents towards accessible online resources and information to empower them with valuable insight and guidance for them to make the right decision for their child.
The Radclyffe School works closely with Oldham Council and the DfE regarding school attendance. The Radclyffe School expects students to achieve 97% Attedance. The graph below shows attendance for the current school year.
Your child’s school attendance is extremely important, you can find information on guidelines and procedures here.
Any activity, holiday or event should be arranged during the 13 weeks of school closure. Leave of absence will have a detrimental impact on your child’s educational achievement. If you are considering taking your child out of school, you are required to inform school as soon as possible. However, schools are unable to authorise absence in such circumstances.
Should leave of absence be taken during term time, parent/carers may receive a Penalty Notice from the Local Authority. See Oldham Council website for up-to-date Penalty Notice Fact Sheet, costs and payment information. Please be advised Oldham Council prosecute all unpaid Penalty Notices.
Persistent Absence
When a student misses 10% of their school attendance, they become categorised as a ‘persistent absent’ student. If over 5 academic years a pupil has attendance of 90% the child will miss half a school year. That’s a lot of lost learning!
The Department for Education (DfE) has informed all schools that ‘persistent absence’ information must be placed on school websites and published in newsletters and/or letters to ensure parent/carers are aware.
Schools are required to act should a student’s attendance become a concern. Such action may include telephone calls or meetings in school to help identify any issues affecting school attendance. We always aim to support students and parent/carers to improve school attendance to ensure learning opportunities are not missed. However, schools may also include Penalty Notices and possible prosecution by the Local Authority. See Oldham Council website for up-to-date school attendance information.
To ensure parent/carers are fully informed we issue regular attendance updates via text message, email, letter or telephone calls. If attendance falls below 90% at key point in the school year parent/carers will be notified and advice provided.