We all know that attendance at school is really important. If attendance is low, students miss out on vital lessons. It attendance is patchy, so is learning. The impact is summarised in this table:

Whilst attendance at Churchill is above the national average, that national average is lower than it was before the pandemic. This means that, across the country – including at Churchill – too many children are missing out on their education.

The link between attendance and attainment is clear: 36% of children who were persistently absent in KS4 got 9 to 4 in their English and maths GCSEs, compared with 84% of those who attended regularly. But attendance is important for more than just attainment: regular school attendance can facilitate positive peer relationships, which is a protective factor for mental health and wellbeing.

The good news is, it’s never too late to benefit from good attendance. More than half (54%) of pupils in England who were persistently in Year 10 and then rarely absent in Year 11, passed at least 5 GCSEs, compared to 36% of pupils who were persistently absent in both years.

We know attendance really matters – and that’s why it’s so important that every single student attends school every day that it is possible for them to do so. And there is a wealth of guidance out there to help and support families with school attendance:

• Is my child too ill for school? The NHS’s comprehensive guide to when you should keep your child off school (and how long for), and when it’s okay to send them in if they are feeling ill.
• Everything you need to know about school attendance
• Why is school attendance important and what support is available?
• Members of the Attendance Action Alliance have worked with the Department for Education to develop this short guide which helps parents understand how they can work with their school and local authority to support their children to attend school and get the right support.
• Mental health resources for children, students, parents and carers

Above all, we really miss our students when they are absent. We love having them in school – we want to see them every day!