Parents and carers should telephone school on the first day of absence on 0151 235 1200.

If your child remains unwell and cannot come into school, parents/carers should call the school to give further information and an indication of when they will return.

Alsop High School operates a system of first day response and you will receive notification if your child does not attend.

Attendance Matters

We believe that regular attendance is the key to academic achievement and personal growth.

Academic Success: Regular attendance ensures that students are present for important lessons, discussions, and assignments. It directly correlates with improved grades and a better understanding of the curriculum.

Skill Development: School is not just about academics, it's also about developing essential life skills like time management, responsibility, and teamwork. Consistent attendance helps nurture these skills for all our students and young people.

Building Relationships: Alsop High school is a place to make friends and build valuable connections. Regular attendance allows students to form bonds with their peers and teachers, creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment.

Preparation for the Future: Punctuality and reliability are highly regarded qualities in the professional world. Full school attendance teaches students the importance of these attributes, preparing them for success in their future careers.

Our aim is for 100%  attendance, however school attendance should not fall below 97% . This equates to 6 school days missed, or 30 lessons, in any academic year.  It is also important to arrive at school on time, because learning begins to suffer if late arrivals are frequent.

Below is a table showing how students percentage attendance equates to the amount of school time missed.

Attendance during one school year 

Equivalent Days  

Equivalent Lessons
97% 6 days missed 30 lessons missed
95% 9 days missed 45 lessons missed
90% 19 days missed 95 lessons missed
85% 29 days missed 145 lessons missed
80% 38 days missed 190 lessons missed
70% 57 days missed 285 lessons missed
65% 67 days missed 335 lessons missed

   
Where attendance falls to 90% in any academic year, students on average achieve 1x GCSE grade below their target grade, where attendance falls to 85%, this increases to 2 GCSE grades and so on. 19 days absent from school a year could mean a drop in a GCSE grade in all subjects.

Each year group has a dedicated Attendance Officer who will support students to return to school as soon as possible. Attendance Officers can be contacted by telephone on 0151 235 1200

Year Group Attendance Officer
Year 7 Mrs M Healy
Year 8 & 9 Mrs J Magee
Year 10 & 11 Mrs C Fletcher
Sixth Form Mrs M McCarty

 

Attendance Policy and Procedures

Our Attendance Policy & Attendance Charter details our expectations and procedures. To read the policy in full click here.

 

 

Term Time Attendance

We are fully committed to providing exceptional learning experiences for all and this includes a relentless focus on student attendance. It is our desire to work closely with our students and families to enable positive school attendance for all. Should you have any concerns regarding your child’s attendance we urge you to contact the school. Our school successes are based on positive relationships and the critical partnership between home and school.

We have continued to experience requests for leave of absence during term time, many of which do not meet the government threshold of “exceptional circumstances. With this in mind and following government guidelines, in instances of persistent or intentional absenteeism, our schools are required by legislation to inform the local authority, which may lead to legal enforcement, particularly where parents/carers take their children out of school for term-time holidays. The table below outlines the governments expectations of all stakeholders:

Parents  Schools Trustees and Governors Local Authorities

Ensure their child attends every day the school is open, except when a statutory reason applies

 Have a clear school attendance policy on the school website which all staff, students and parents understand.

Take an active role in attendance improvement, support their school(s) to  prioritise attendance, and work together with leaders to set whole school cultures.

Have a strategic approach to improving attendance for the whole area and make it a key focus of all frontline council
Notify the school as soon as possible when their child has to be unexpectedly absent (e.g. sickness) Develop and maintain a whole school culture that promotes the benefits of good attendance. Ensure school leaders fulfil expectations and statutory duties. Have a School Attendance Support Team that works with all school in their area to remove area -wide barriers to attendance. 
Only request leave of absence in exceptional circumstances and do so in advance.  Accurately complete admission and attendance registers. Have a robust daily process to follow up absence.  Ensure school staff receive training on attendance.  Provide each school with a named point of contact in the School Attendance Support Team who can support with queries and advice.
Book any medical appointments around the school day, where possible. Have a dedicated senior leader with overall responsibility for championing and improving attendance.    Offer opportunities for all schools in the area to share effective practice. 

Furthermore, we also encourage families to access the useful resource pack provided by the Children’s Commissioners Office which can be found at https://assets.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wpuploads/2022/12/aaa-guide-for-parents-on-school-attendance.pdf 

Myths v Facts

We have provided some useful information which detail the importance of excellent school attendance and hopefully dispel some of the myths which understandably exist.

Myth 

Fact 

Individual schools and trusts make their own attendance rules.

 

Our attendance policies and procedures are developed directly from the government guidance document “Working together to improve school attendance”. In addition, the law clearly defines the responsibilities of parents/carers, schools and local authorities

Authorised absences do not count against a pupil’s overall attendance figure.

Authorised absences are ultimately absences from school and must be recorded as such. This means the absence will count against a pupil’s overall attendance for that academic year. The difference between authorised and unauthorised absence is that if the school authorises the pupil absence, then they have accepted the reason which has been given and they will not take any further action.

As long as a parent/carer notifies the school of an absence, the absence will always be authorised.

Legislation clearly states that it is the school who decides whether an absence is authorised or not. Providing notice of an absence does not in itself mean it meets the threshold for authorising said absence. School will consider each absence on a case-by-case basis and will always base the decision on government guidance.

Being late has no effect on a pupil’s attendance

Schools are legally required to take attendance registers at least twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. If a pupil arrives at school or class after this register has closed, they will be marked with a “U” as per government guidance. A “U” code will show that the pupil was in school but will be classed as an absence and count against their overall attendance figure. Pupils arriving on time is incredibly important.

Headteachers can choose to permit term time holidays or leave of absence for any reason if they so choose

The law which governs school attendance states Headteachers may not grant leave of absence during term-time unless there are exceptional circumstances; “An application for leave of absence should (and from certain schools must) not be granted unless it is made in advance by a parent the pupil normally lives with and the school is satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances based on the individual facts and circumstance of the case which justify the leave. Where a leave of absence is granted, the school will determine the number of days a pupil can be absent from school. A leave of absence is granted entirely at the headteacher’s discretion.” Where absence is not granted in advance, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised ,and parents are subject to a penalty notice and/or other legal interventions.

Individual schools and trusts decide on an ad-hoc basis when to issue penalty notices for non-attendance.

Legal intervention is the responsibility of the local authority in which the school resides. Schools are legally required to share attendance data and in consultation, together they will decide if legal action is required.

The money from penalty notices goes to the school.

Any monies generated from penalty notices are used by the local authority to cover the legal and administrative costs of the process. Any monies remaining is reinvested in local education services, no money goes to the school.

I should always keep my child off school for any type of illness.

If you have a mild illness, it can be tricky to know whether you should be in school or not. Certain contagious illnesses require you to stay at home, but often children can and should attend school. For guidance see www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthybody/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school. If in doubt, speak to the Office / Student Services, please do not just assume you should be off school.

80% is good right… it normally is in a test?

Pupils who attend school 80% of the time will miss the equivalent of 1 whole school year at secondary school (over 5 years) and nearly 1.5 school years at primary school (over 7 years).