Attendance | West Kirby Grammar School

Every day in school counts. There is a direct link between attendance and how well students are likely to perform in school.

There are positive benefits to be gained from regular attendance at school.

Benefits include the following:

It builds in students the idea that getting up and going to a setting is simply what you do.
Students who attend school regularly have rhythm to their week and gain a sense of security from some regular elements, even when the actual pattern or focus of their learning or activity may vary widely from week to week.

Students find it easier to build and sustain a range of social relationships when they regularly attend school. Regular attendance helps to develop secure attachments with both peers and staff.

Students who rarely miss sessions and come on time are more likely to feel good about themselves. This is because they know what goes on and what to expect, feel more confident with their peers and staff and have more chances to take up opportunities to contribute and feel valued.
Students who regularly miss sessions or are generally late, can frequently experience a sense of having to try a little bit harder just to understand what is going on and what their peers are talking about or doing.
Regular attendance, on time, helps students to get organised at the start of the day and settle more readily into daily life at school.

Staff carefully plan high quality lessons and want to take every opportunity to help students thrive. Experiences gained in one lesson are often developed further in the next lesson, absence leads to lack of continuity to learning.
Students learn in a variety of different ways. This is greatly supported by being educated alongside their peers and through being in the company of staff who actively support their learning and development.

Ensure they pack their bag the night before
Ensure that their uniform is ready, especially after the holidays or a weekend
Get them to bed at a reasonable hour so that they get a good night’s sleep – don’t let them take their phone to bed
Set the alarm clock early enough to allow plenty of time to get ready properly
Make sure they have some breakfast
Remind them to set off in the car, the train, the bus, or start walking early enough so that they are not late: punctuality is important (students should be in the form room by 8.50am)
Check to make sure they have everything they need – pencil case, books, PE kit, bus/train pass, lunch money etc
Talk to them about what they did in school today
Ensure they have completed any homework or revised for any tests (as this can cause students to worry if not completed).
If worried about attendance - contact the school and the Pastoral Team as soon as possible so that we can offer support.

Government research shows that:

Students who have 5 days off school each year have a 98.5% chance of achieving 5 A* - C
Students who have 10 days off have 57% chance of achieving 5 A* - C
Students who have over 20 days off have 28% chance of achieving 5 A* - C