Understanding Persistent Absence: Why Every Day Counts
A student is classed as a ‘Persistent Absentee’ (PA) when they miss 10% or more of school across the academic year, regardless of the reason. Absence at this level significantly undermines a child’s educational progress, and we rely on the full support and cooperation of parents, guardians and carers to address this.
To put this into perspective, 10% absence over the five years of secondary education equates to half a year of lost learning — a gap that can be extremely difficult to close.
We carefully monitor all absences. Where concerns arise, the designated member of staff will contact home and put tailored support strategies or action plans in place. If attendance does not improve and absences continue, legal sanctions may be considered.
How many days off will make your child a persistent absence student |
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|---|---|
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Half term 1 |
3.5 days absence from September until October half term |
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Half term 1 - 2 |
7 days absence from September - Christmas |
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Half term 1 – 3 |
10 days absence from September - February |
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Half term 1 – 4 |
12.5 absence school from September - Easter |
|
Half term 1 – 5 |
15.5 days absence from September - May |
|
Half term 1 – 6 |
19 days absence over the entire academic year |
The graphic below outlines the different attendance bands. It includes the number of days and weeks absent from school throughout an academic year.
This graphic represents a student whose attendance has fallen below 90% after missing 19 days of school.
This graphic represents a student who has missed 38 days of school and their attendance stands at 80%.