Gordano School is committed to providing high quality inclusive learning opportunities for all students.  We believe that if students are to reach their full potential, then excellent attendance is crucial.  Any problems that impede full attendance will be identified and addressed as quickly as possible.  Gordano School follows the Government’s Guidance on the Education (Student Registration – England) Regulations 2006.  Click on the link below to see the LSP Policy and Gordano Guidelines.

Attendance Policy 2023-24

Leave of Absence Form 

Attendance Leaflet 

If there are problems which affect a student’s attendance we will investigate, identify and strive (in partnership with parents, students and Education Welfare Services) to resolve those problems as quickly and efficiently as possible.  It is true that some students will consciously avoid attending school without a valid reason.  We need to know when this is happening so we can provide our support to avoid a pattern of truancy which is easily established and often hard to break, now and in later life.

We adopt a clearly focused approach aimed at returning the student to full attendance at all times. Good attendance constitutes 95% and above.

ATTENDANCE PERCENTAGES

90% in a test is a good score; 90% attendance is not – it’s the same as having nearly 4 weeks off school in a year! The grid below shows the approximate figures for weeks, days, hours and lessons of learning time missed in an academic year:

 

Attendance   percentage	Approximate DAYS of learning missed	Approximate WEEKS of learning missed	Equivalent number of LESSONS missed in an academic year.	Approximate HOURS of learning missed
100%	0	0	0	0
99%	1.9	0.4	11	9
98%	3.8	0.75	22	18
97%	5.7	1	33	28
96%	7.6	1.5	44	37
95%	9.5	2	55	46
94%	11.4	2.3	66	55
93%	13.3	2.5	77	64
92%	15.2	3	88	73
91%	17.1	3.5	99	83
90%	19	4	110	92
85%	28.5	6	165	138
80%	38	7.5	220	183

• 19 school days missed = 90% is classed as a persistent absentee which approximately translates to dropping one grade in each GCSE `https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-profile-of-pupil-absence-in-england
• 34 school days missed = 82.1% attendance for the year
• 90% attendance over 5 years equates to 95 days away from school which is half a school year missed

FIRST DAY CONTACT 

First day contact is an integral part of our Attendance Policy.  Parents and students must realise that whenever possible a student’s absence will be noted and acted upon swiftly.  First day contact sends a clear message that attendance is very important and enables us to quickly determine that a student who is absent is genuinely ill and safely at home.

Parents should contact the school by 9.30am on the first morning that their child is away and reasons for the child’s absence should be given. You are asked to contact us every following morning unless you have informed us in writing in advance.

For Years 7 - 11

Please use the form here to report illness and planned absence such as medical appointments.

Dedicated attendance phone line with a 24hr answer machine: 01275 841374

For attendance queries please email the new address attendanceteam@gordanoschool.org.uk

For Sixth Form

Please use the form here to report illness and planned absence such as medical appointments.

Sixth form office: 01275 841380

For Sixth Form attendance queries please email 6thformattendance@gordanoschool.org.uk

ATTENDANCE MONITORING

Our Attendance Officer meets every second week with each Head of House and every student whose attendance is below 95% is evaluated and necessary support discussed.

We strongly believe a dialogue and partnership between home and school is vital and if you have any concerns or need general advice you can contact your child’s Head of House or our Attendance Officer, by phoning the school or emailing attendanceteam@gordanoschool.org.uk

HOLIDAYS / LEAVE OF ABSENCE IN TERM TIME 

With effect from the 1st September 2013, the law no longer gives any entitlement to parents to take their child on holiday during term time and Headteachers can no longer grant any extended leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.  

If you are going to request a leave of absence under exceptional circumstances you are asked to complete a Leave of Absence Under Exceptional Circumstances Form and return it to the Attendance Officer. Please refer to Gordano Attendance Guidelines for more detailed information regarding taking holidays in term time.  

On occasions, parents have reported their child as ill when, in fact, they have been on a family holiday.  When we have reason to believe this may be the case, we will follow this up so we encourage your honesty in these matters to save putting families in an embarrassing situation.

If the Headteacher does not authorise an absence, but the child is still absent, then the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and may result in a Penalty Notice Fine being issued.