Attendance

The importance of good attendance

Why Every Day Counts: Your Journey at The Stanway School
Every single day at secondary school is a chance to learn, grow, and make memories! We know life can be busy, but regular attendance is key to unlocking your full potential and making the most of your time here at The Stanway School.

Good attendance is essential to student success and wellbeing and all students should be aiming for a target attendance of 97% over the academic year (this would mean taking no more than 5 days off in a school year). Nationally, Year 11 students who missed less than 1% of school achieved nearly a full grade higher than the average student per GCSE last year. Those students whose attendance was below 90% achieved on average a third of a grade per GCSE lower than the average student.

Although 90% sounds like a high number, in attendance terms it is not. It means that a student would be missing out on a day of school every two weeks, or 20 days of school a year. That equates to 100 hours of lost learning time, more than 20 hours of lost social time with friends and countless missed opportunities for support.

We're Here to Help:

If you're facing any challenges that make it difficult to attend school, please don't hesitate to reach out. Our dedicated staff are always here to listen and provide support. Let's work together to ensure you're in school, learning, and thriving.

How to report an absence:

All absences should be reported to school as early as possible on the first day of absence either by telephoning the school absence line on 01206 245059 or via email to  student.absence@stanway.school.

If only one day’s absence has occurred, then a phone call/email is sufficient. However, if your child is likely to be absent for more than one day, then a phone call/email to the school should be made on the first day informing us of the expected return to school date. If we do not receive a call from you, one of our office staff may message you to gain an update during the school day.  Authorised absence is granted entirely at the headteacher’s discretion.

There is no entitlement to parents to take their child out of school during term time. However, you may apply to the school for leave of absence if you believe there are exceptional circumstances.

If the absence is not authorised and the holiday is taken, the case will be referred to the Education Welfare Service who may issue a Penalty Notice for £120 (or £60 if paid within 21 days) to each parent for each child taken out of school.