REPORTING STUDENT ABSENCE

Absence line:  01634 851157 and select Option 1 

Email: studentabsence@robertnapier.org.uk

Please keep your message brief but include:-

• Name
• Form and Year Group
• Reason for absence

If you fail to inform us by 8:30am, your child will be marked absent during electronic registration at 8:30am and you will receive an email message from your child's Pastoral Manager. If your child’s absences are not reported it will be marked as unauthorised.

Our school attendance target is 97% or above.

Attendance and Punctuality expectations

At The Robert Napier School we recognise that attending school regularly and on time has a positive impact on learning, progress and therefore the best life chances for our students. Excellent attendance and punctuality is the key for our student’s success, in order to prepare our students for their future adult life. In line with the Government and Local Authority Guidelines, we expect all our students to maintain an attendance level of 97% and above. It is the responsibility of everyone in our school community– parents, staff, students and governors to ensure they achieve this. Therefore, we monitor and review the attendance of all our students constantly. We encourage excellent attendance and punctuality for all students, by offering an environment in which our students feel valued and part of the school community.

Why is attendance so important, and how is it linked to attainment?

Logically if students are absent, they are not learning and are therefore potentially allowing their grades to suffer. This is important no matter which year group they are in. The process of education is life-long- we build on what we already know and therefore, absence from school can damage their future. Each year there are 190 school days which leaves 175 days for holidays, shopping, birthday celebrations and non-urgent medical and dental appointments. Therefore, the school is very unlikely to authorise absence for these reasons.

As mentioned earlier our School Attendance Target is 97% or above, therefore, if your son/daughter attends for at least 95% of one school year they will have had less than 10 days absence.

Attendance over one school year

If your son or daughter had:-

98% attendance = less than 4 days absent from school

95% attendance = less than 10 days absent from school

90% attendance = less than 4 weeks absent from school

85% attendance = 5 ½ weeks absent from school

80% attendance = 7 ½ weeks absent from school

What is good attendance?

Everyone is genuinely ill at some point and this may lead students to miss a day or two of school, which is permissible, but that should be a very rare occurrence.

Attendance percentages are not like examination results: an attendance percentage needs to be in the high 90’s before it can be considered good.

• The greater the attendance (95% or above)
• The greater the achievement (Grade 5 and above including English and Maths). 

Why is Punctuality Important?

All students are required to be punctual to school, which is a legal requirement.

Morning- Students must arrive at school at 8:25am for morning registration at 8.30am. Students who arrive after this time will be marked `late.' Registers will close at 9.15 am. Students who arrive after 9.15 am may be classed as absent for that session. The main gate will be closed at 8.30am. Students arriving after this time will need to sign in at Reception.

Afternoon- After lunch students will register in lessons at the start of period 5.

Both attendance and punctuality will be monitored regularly and concerns will be actioned by Pastoral Managers in accordance with their own procedures and, if necessary, reported to the Attendance Advisory Practitioner.

Being on time:

• Gets your day off to a good start and puts you in a positive frame of mind, so that you can maximise your learning opportunities.
• Sets positive patterns for the future. You can not expect to keep a job if you're always coming in late;
• Leads to a good attendance record and means you do not miss any morning notices;
• Leads to better achievement because you attend all of your classes;
• Leads to understanding that school is important and education is valuable;
• Helps you develop a sense of responsibility for yourself and towards others and is a sign of good character;
• Is respectful to your teacher and to your classmates and builds good habits for later in life when your employer pays you to be on time;
• Allows students to build positive relationships with their form tutor and subject teachers who will support them on their educational journey.

Research shows that attendance and punctuality are the single most important factors in school success.

Students arriving late to school

Students are expected to be in form by 8:30am. Therefore, they should arrive no later than 8:25am to ensure that they have time to get to their form rooms.

If students arrive to school late, they are expected to attend a short lunchtime detention, which will act as a deterrent and encourage them to improve their punctuality. Students will still be able to get a lunch and have time to eat it.

If students fail to attend the lunchtime detention, parents will be notified and the student will receive a 45-minute detention after school, the following day.

If the student fails to attend the 45-minute detention after school, they will be set a further detention the following day for 60 minutes.

Any student that fails to attend the 60-minute detention will face disciplinary measures and will also be expected to complete the 60-minute detention.