Attendance Matters Here at Broughton Hall ... because your Child Matters
At Broughton Hall Catholic High School we work hard to ensure that pupils attend school regularly and are here on time. We do this because every day at school matters if your child is going to flourish and be successful in life.
Every week we celebrate attendance and discuss its importance in form time.
However, for some children, attending school every day will be harder than for others. This is why Broughton Hall is committed to implementing the guidance document 'Working Together to Improve School Attendance' (DfE, 2024) with families to solve problems and support your daughter's school attendance. Our school Attendance Officer and Family Liaison Officer are here to help you and your child get off to the very best start in life.
If the absence is due to illness which is ongoing or your child is struggling in other ways, whether related to school or home issues, anxiety the first step is to talk to the school about why they are missing school and what help we can give. In the meantime, you should still do everything you can to help your child attend as much as possible and arrive on time, whilst waiting for help and support to be put into place.
Above 92-95 - sliding down
90-92 - danger zone
96-99 - safe zone
100 - perfect
Regular attendance promotes positive social development and improves pupil progress. There is a clear link between attendance and attainment and as a school we expect all pupils to aim to achieve at least 97% attendance.
Poor attendance negatively impacts pupil progress. For example, a pupil with 90% attendance misses nearly 4 weeks of school, equating to over 100 hours of learning.
The graph below highlights the strong correlation between attendance and academic achievement, demonstrating how regular attendance supports success in exams.
Punctuality to School
Being even 15 minutes late each day is the same as missing two weeks of school over the year. Our extended start to the day is an important part of the school day in which children interact with their peers socially, access pastoral support and guidance via prayer and liturgy, and are taught PSHE, reading and current affairs.
Pupils are expected to be on site at 8.30am every day. The register closes 30 minutes after registration, at which point late arrivers are classed as absent for registration purposes.
All pupils should attend school every day and be on time except where illness makes this not possible. Our aim is for all pupils to have 97%.
Attendance
Our attendance target is 97% plus attendance.
This is in line with employer expectations, after all no boss ever advertised for new staff with a poor attendance or punctuality record!Recognising and rewarding positive Attendance and Punctuality
There are 190 possible days of school attendance per year, 950 days in education in year's 7-11 Broughton Hall. Every moment in school counts, and days missed add up quickly. We recognise and reward pupils who have positive attendance.
What does attendance, as a percentage actually mean and how does it affect my child's life chances?
Data from 2019 shows that 84% of Key Stage 2 pupils who had 100% attendance achieved the expected standard, compared to 40% of pupils who were persistently absent across the key stage.Whilst most people would be proud of 90% in any form of assessment, or celebrate 90% of a lottery win, a pupil with 90% attendance is classed as being 'persistently absent' from school.
This triggers various different strategies (outlined in the graphic above) of interventions in line with our school attendance policy and local authority direction.
*A child with 90% attendance will have missed the equivalent of 100 hours of learning in an academic year
*90% attendance means one half day absence each week; nearly four weeks missed in a whole year
*If you improve your attendance to between 91% and 93% your chances of getting five 9-4 grades at GCSE increases from 25% to 75%!
*Research indicates that pupils with no absence, are more than twice as likely to achieve 5 or more GCSEs 9-4 and 3 times as likely to get 5 or more GCSEs 9-4 including Mathematics and English.
Parents and Carer's Responsibilities
Parents and carer's have a legal duty to ensure their child receives a full time-education. Usually, that means going into school from the age of 5 to 16.There are only a small number of circumstances where missing a school day is permitted. Your child must attend every day that the school is open, unless:
- Your child is too ill to attend
- You have asked in advance and due to 'exceptional circumstances' special permission has been granted. Holidays during term time are not permitted under these circumstances
- Your child cannot go to school on a specific day because they are observing a designated religious event
- Your local authority is responsible for arranging your child's transport to school and it's not available or has not been provided yet
- Your child does not have a permanent address and you are required to travel for work. This exception only applies if your child attends their usual school or another school where you are staying as often as possible. This must be 200 half days or more a year if they are aged 6 or older.
The school Attendance Team monitor attendance and punctuality closely and will contact parents if there are concerns.
If school support and intervention fails to improve school attendance and punctuality, the local School Attendance Enforcement Team will be contacted for enforcement action, including the issuing of holiday fines and penalty notices.
What should I do if my child can't attend school?
If your child is unable to attend school for any reason you should telephone the school attendance line by 8.15am via the Edulink app or by ringing 0151 541 9440 to inform the Attendance Team of the reason for your child's absence and expected date of return.*Please be aware that a doctor's note may be required for extended absences due illness.
If a pupil is absent and we haven't received an explanation this will trigger an automated text message and/or a phone call. If your child has been missing school without a reason, the absences will be unauthorised and will carry the risk of a penalty notice or prosecution.
If you have concerns about your child's attendance, you can contact the school to discuss how we can support improved school attendance.
*Please note that the decision to authorise absences legally rests with schools and not parents.
What We Will Do If a Pupil is Absent from School
- We will contact you by telephone. We may also contact any additional emergency contact numbers held by the school.
- We may carry out a home visit.
- WE will ask you to provide a reason for your child's absence
- We may ask for medical proof if your child is repeatedly absent or has been absent for an extended period.
- We may ask you and your child to speak with a member of the Attendance Team, a member of SLT or the EWO assigned to work with the school if your child's attendance is a concern.
- We will offer a range of support to help you and your child improve their school attendance.
- We may process a Penalty Notice if your child misses 10 or more sessions of school.
- We will process a Holiday Fine for absences due to a term time holiday.
We recognise that for some children, attending school every day will be harder than for others. This is why Broughton Hall is committed to implementing the guidance document 'Working Together to Improve School Attendance' (DfE, 2024) with families to solve problems and support your daughter's school attendance. Our school Attendance Officers and Family Liaison Officer are here to help you and your child get off to the very best start in life.
If the absence is due to illness which is ongoing or your child is struggling in other ways, whether related to school or home issues, anxiety the first step is to talk to the school about why they are missing school and what help we can give.
In the meantime, you should still do everything you can to help your child attend as much as possible and arrive on time, whilst waiting for help and support to be put into place.
Working together, school and home will agree a set of joint actions to support your child or help you to access support services, in exchange for an agreement from you and your daughter to take part in the support offered. As a school we will also arrange times for you to come together to review these actions and to recognise the progress your child has made in improving their school attendance.
More information can be found in Broughton Hall's School Attendance Policy on supporting improved school attendance for all pupils, including children with severe medical conditions or with an Education, Health and Care plan.
Meet our Family Liaison Officer
At Broughton Hall, the regular attendance of our pupils is highly important. We know our parents value their child's education and want their children to do well at school. Having your child in school every day will provide them with every opportunity they need to flourish and make the most out of their education. Our Family Support Worker is committed to providing support to our pupils and their families in order to improve engagement with school and regular attendance of each young person.
By developing links between home and school we hope to encourage good communication and overcome any barriers to attendance. This new service will allow the school to offer practical help to our families, particularly during times of crisis and help families to engage in activities which support good learning. The FSW aims to provide interventions to support identified pupils, for example, through adaptions within school but also through drop-ins, home visits, and parental meetings. This can also include contacting professionals and agencies to create a plan to support both pupils and their families. Our Family Support Worker will work closely with our Student Support Managers and Attendance Officer to assist in tackling attendance and underachievement.
Miss Fowler
Family Liaison Officer
Unauthorised Absence From School
- Shopping
- Holidays in term time
- Birthday treats
- Long weekend away
- Rewards
- After a school trip/event
Education Penalty Notices
Under the Education Act 1996, parents and carers have a duty to make sure their children regularly attend school. If your child exceeds 10 sessions (which equates to 5 days) of unauthorised absence during the school year, you may be issued with a penalty notice. The penalty notice is £80 per child for each parent or carer. If the fine remains unpaid after 21 days the penalty increases to £160 in paid within 28 days.
If the parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three year period, this will be charged at £160.
Holidays During Term Time
Since 1st September 2013 the law prevents Headteachers from authorising holidays/absence during term time. Parents are fined if we have evidence that a child has been taken on holiday during term time, without consent from the school.Leave of Absence during Term Time
There is no automatic right for a pupil's leave of absence. The School will not routinely grant permission for leave of absence to be taken in term time and discourage parents/carers making an application for leave except in "special or exceptional circumstances". Family holidays do not fall under this category.To apply for leave of absence, please print and complete the request form below.
