Attendance
Excellent school attendance is a top priority at Highfield, as attendance has been shown to be a key component in positive academic, social and wellbeing outcomes for children.
At Highfield our target is 100% attendance and we have dedicated staff in place to support with any issues that might impact your child’s attendance.
If your child's attendance drops below 90% you will be notified by Mr West and if things do not improve you will be contacted by the Inclusion Service. Our attendance is audited each half term by Surrey County Council who will issue Fines and Court Orders in line with the Education Act 1996.
If you are struggling with school attendance for any reason please contact our Home School Link Worker for assistance.
Attending school every day equates to 100% attendance
| Attendance during 1 Year | Days lost | This equates to |
|---|---|---|
| 95% attendance | 9 Days | nearly 2 weeks |
| 90% attendance | 19 days | nearly 4 weeks |
| 85% attendance | 29 days | nearly 6 weeks |
| 80% attendance | 38 days | nearly 8 weeks |
| 75% attendance | 48 days | nearly 10 weeks |
| 70% attendance | 57 days | nearly 11.5 weeks |
| 65% attendance | 67 days | nearly 13.5 weeks |
Attendance
Is your child meeting their full potential?
| 100% | No days absence | Excellent! A child can take full advantage of all learning opportunities. |
| 98% | 1-4 days absence | Very good! This will help all aspects of their progress in school. |
| 97%-98% | 5 days absence (a school week) | Satisfactory attendance. A child should reach their full potential. |
| 93%-96.9% | 8-14 days absence | If a child has more than 8 days absence from school they may fail to make expected progress. |
| Below 93% | 15 days absence (3 school weeks) | Unacceptable - Children may find there are gaps in their learning and it is difficult to achieve their best. |
| Below 90% -Classed as persistent absence by Government guidelines | 20 days absence = 4 weeks |
Unacceptable - Persistent absentee. A child will find it difficult to catch up on missed learning and will be unlikely to achieve their best. Below 90% may lead to the involvement with Local Government. |
| Below 82% | 30 days absence = 5 school weeks |
Children with this level of attendance are missing the equivalent of a week’s school every half term! This is a serious concern and will be having a negative effect on attainment and progress. The school will ask the Local Authority to support them to take action against parents/carers to ensure improved attendance. |
It is a legal requirement for parents to ensure children attend school regularly and arrive on time.
We believe that ‘Every Minute Counts! When a child arrives late at school, they miss teacher instructions and lesson time; and their learning begins to suffer. Children also feel embarrassed at having to enter the classroom late. The table below shows how frequent lateness can add up to a considerable amount of learning being lost. This can seriously disadvantage children and disrupt the learning of others. Please help your children to be punctual.
| Minutes Late | Learning days lost per year |
| 5 minutes | 3 days |
| 10 minutes | 6.5 days |
| 15 minutes | 10 days |
| 20 minutes | 13 days |
| 30 minutes | 19 days |
Please find relevant links below:
Tips for Supporting Your Child's Attendance
Surrey County Council Inclusion Service
A copy of the school attendance policy is available here: School Policies