Attendance Matters

Why does attendance matter?

All parents/carers want their children to get on well in life. Nowadays, it is more important than ever to have a good education behind you to give you a fighting chance for the future. Your children only get one chance at school, and your child’s chances of a successful future can be affected by their attendance.

Children who miss even a small amount of school can be affected:

They may struggle to keep up with school work and missed time cannot be made back up.They will miss out on the social side of school life. Poor attendance can affect a child’s ability to make and keep friendships; a vital part of growing up.Employers want to recruit people who are reliable. So, children who have a poor school attendance record may have less chance of getting a good job.Research has shown that children who are not in school are most vulnerable and are easily drawn into crime. Those children who play truant are more likely to offend.Even the odd half day off school can soon add up to a poor attendance record.

It is through good attendance that pupils maximise their full potential, enhancing their life chances for the future and there is a strong statistical link between attendance and attainment. 

Students who have attendance below 90% generally, do less well in their exams.

Just 17 days absent from school in one year could mean a drop in a GCSE grade in all subjects! 

The days add up quickly. 

The government expects students to have a minimum of 95% attendance. 

Days missed

What we are doing?

At Caterham High School, we are working hard to identify early concerns and issues which may be affecting your child’s attendance.

• We continually promote the importance of good attendance throughout the school
• We have robust monitoring in place
• We ensure support is offered to those who experience difficulties with punctuality and/or attendance
• We issue regular updates for parents/carers

Please be aware that it is only the school that is able to authorise any absence.

Students who are absent without any reason will always be marked as unauthorised.

If your child is experiencing difficulties and this is affecting their attendance in school, in the first instance contact our Attendance Officer, Amy Clark at a.clark@ecaterham.net or 0208 551 4321 ext 257 or your child's Head of Year.