The Importance of Regular School Attendance

At Kyson we know that good school attendance is a key factor in children’s academic and social progress in school. Traditionally Kyson has always had strong attendance figures – something we attribute to the excellent sense of pride in the school and our community that children have always had and continue to hold.

 Nationally, school attendance has been disrupted and fallen significantly because of the impact of the covid pandemic and the increase in circulating winter bugs we have all experienced. Before the pandemic, national school attendance figures were around 96%. For this academic year, across the country they currently stand at 92.4% (Feb 2023)

Increase in Illnesses Circulating

 We know there are good reasons for many of the absences that have occurred – the school has seen several bugs, colds and viruses sweep through classes and year groups. If someone is unwell, it is right that they stay at home to rest and recover as quickly as possible. If you need advice about whether your child can attend school whilst they are experiencing symptoms of an illness, the NHS have published some helpful advice around common childhood illnesses and attendance at school: Is my child too ill for school?

Exceptional Reasons for Absence

There are sometimes exceptional reasons why a child may not be able to attend school such as medical appointments. The fundamental principles for defining ‘exceptional’ are rare, significant, unavoidable and short; 'unavoidable' should be taken to mean an event that could not reasonably be scheduled at another time. Schools would not typically authorise absence for situations such as family holidays/cheaper holiday dates; visits arranged by family members during school time; and visiting relatives either abroad or in the UK. Kyson will always take a balanced approach to requests for absence that considers the exceptional nature of the request and prior absence patterns of the children involved.

The Impact of Lower Attendance

There are only 190 school days in a year and once that time has passed, children do not get it back. Lessons are planned in sequences that often build cumulatively and if children miss part of a sequence, it can be like trying to complete a jigsaw puzzle without all the pieces. 

The government classifies any pupil who has attendance levels below 90% as ‘persistently absent’.

Promoting Positive Attendance

The school will regularly share updates about attendance at school and inform you of your child’s attendance percentage each term. We are also introducing a whole school attendance reward system ‘Kysonopoly’. This will give each class with weekly attendance figures above 95% a chance to roll the dice to travel around our Kyson style monopoly reward board earning bonuses for their class.

We are always keen to support Kyson families to improve school attendance. Class teachers alongside Mr Gunson and Mrs Brennan (Family Support Worker) are happy to meet to discuss any concerns and help overcome barriers for individuals and families. We know that every set of circumstances is different and drawing up a plan together to help support your child can make a big difference not just to attendance but wider enjoyment of school life.

By working together we look forward to helping Kyson children to make the most of their educational opportunities.