Home » Key Information » Attendance
Attendance
Absence from school disrupts learning and hinders progress. Ensuring regular attendance at school is a legal responsibility for parents and carers.
Recording student attendance is a requirement for schools and where there are concerns over a child’s attendance the school works with parents and external agencies to provide support to ensure the child attends regularly. The school does not authorise absence during term time for holidays. If a student receives 10 or more unauthorised sessions in the previous six school weeks then the school may request the Local Authority issue a Penalty Notice. Each parent is liable for a notice per child.
The Amount Payable Under a Penalty Notice: The Education (Penalty Notices) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2024.
- If a parent/carer has not incurred a penalty notice relating to the relevant child/children since 19 August 2024, then the penalty notice will be charged at the rate of £160.00, per parent/carer per child, if paid within 28 days. This will be reduced to £80.00 if paid within 21 days of receipt of the notice. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in Surrey County Council considering legal proceedings against you in the Magistrates Court
- If you have incurred a penalty notice relating to this child/children since 19 August 2024, the rolling 3-year period will be activated from the date of the first penalty notice and the second penalty notice will be charged at the flat rate of £160.00, per parent/carer per child, if paid within 28 days. There will be no reduction for payment within 21 days. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in Surrey County Council considering legal proceedings against you in the Magistrates Court
- If you have incurred 2 penalty notices relating to this child/children in the rolling 3-year period since the first penalty notice was issued, then you will NOT receive a third penalty notice – Surrey County Council will have no option but to consider a prosecution, per parent/carer per child, in the Magistrates Court under s 444 Education Act 1996
Attendance is important and is closely linked to attainment. Students who are not in school are not learning and could potentially be allowing their grades to suffer. Unless a student is genuinely ill, they should be in school and working hard to achieve their best, no matter what year group they are in.
The process of education is a life-long journey of building on knowledge and so students who skip school are damaging their future. Holidays during term time are not authorised.
The proper place for students to be on a school day is at school. If they are not in school, then they must have a justifiable reason, and parents/carers should telephone the attendance line on 01883 718707 by 8.40am or as soon as possible thereafter or email attendance@oxted.thpt.org.uk on each day of absence.
If students are away from school for more than 3 days then parents/carers must send a written note to the school office on the third day of absence to tell us what is wrong.
Unavoidable requests for leave of absence should be made in writing well in advance of the date.
Students who leave school with good examination grades, BTECs, GCSEs and A-Levels go on to enjoy a successful and happy working career. However an excellent attendance record is required in order for students to give education their best shot.
The Facts:
In the last academic year alone:
- 7.7 million school days were lost due to absence.
- Only 10% of persistent absentees achieved five A* – C grades compared with 38% of occasional absentees and 58% of good attenders nationally.
- 21% of persistent absentees left school with no qualifications.
What is your attendance percentage at the moment?
All students have a page in their planner to record attendance and you are urged to use it. Your tutor will also be able to tell you your exact attendance for the last term. You should know if your attendance is good or not but you may be surprised by these weekly figures.
Weekly Percentage Attendance
- 90% = Half a day per week
- 80% = 1 day
- 70% = 1 and a half days
- 60% = 2 days
- 50% = 2 and a half days
- 40% = 3 days
- 30% = 3 and a half days
Attendance Protocol - Parent and Student
At Oxted School, we firmly believe that attending school regularly is in the best interest of every student as this will help them to achieve their full potential.
Students with at least 96% attendance achieve, on average, one grade better per GCSE subject than those with attendance below 96%. In addition, students who regularly attend school have the opportunity to foster lasting friendships and gain experiences in and outside the classroom, which they will cherish for years to come.
Students whose attendance is below 96% start to lose the continuity of their learning and the social benefits of school. They are also at risk of underachievement as catching up on work becomes more challenging.
Below are our family-friendly attendance protocols so you can read about the benefits of high attendance and the support we can provide as a school. If there is any additional support we can provide or you have any queries around attendance, please email attendance@oxted.thpt.org.uk.