Wisdom Bridge International School Attendance Policy
Introduction
Regular school attendance is paramount for students to maximise their academic potential and personal growth. At Wisdom Bridge International School, we firmly believe that consistent school attendance is the cornerstone of a successful education. It empowers students to fully engage with their learning, develop essential social skills, and cultivate the resilience, confidence, and competence necessary to become well-rounded individuals who positively contribute to society.
Recognising that certain students may face challenges in maintaining regular attendance, this policy outlines our commitment to collaborating with students, parents, and community partners to foster a supportive environment that promotes and encourages consistent school attendance at WBIS. We aim to identify and address any barriers that may hinder students from attending school regularly.
Aims
- To establish clear expectations and goals for all students to maintain high standards of attendance and punctuality.
- To enhance student achievement through consistent school attendance.
- To prioritise attendance as a collective responsibility.
- To implement a robust system for identifying and addressing potential attendance issues.
- To foster strong relationships with parents, students, and community partners to collaboratively overcome barriers to attendance.
Attendance Partnership Expectations
We expect the following from all of our pupils:
- To maintain consistent and regular school attendance.
- To arrive punctually and adequately prepared for the school day, having consumed breakfast.
- To communicate with a school staff member regarding any issue or circumstance that may hinder attendance.
We expect the following from parents and carers:
- To guarantee consistent and punctual school attendance for their children.
- To promptly notify the school whenever their child is unable to attend, as soon as feasible.
- To ensure that their children are well-prepared for the school day, having consumed breakfast.
- To communicate with a school staff member regarding any issue or circumstance that may impede their child’s attendance.
Parents and pupils can expect the following from school:
- Early contact with parents when a pupil fails to attend school without providing good reason.
- Regular, efficient and accurate recording of attendance.
- To inform parents if a pupil’s attendance falls below expected levels.
- To listen and understand the barriers to school attendance and offer appropriate support and agree appropriate plans to improve attendance.
- Follow up support if needed.
Attending school regularly and on time has a positive impact on learning, progress and therefore the best life chances for pupils. Research shows that attendance and punctuality are important factors in school success.
| 98 – 100% | Excellent. Accessing all learning opportunities |
| 96 – 97% | Good. Very few learning opportunities missed |
| 94 – 95% | Risk of underachievement up to 60 missed lessons, up to 10 school days absent in an academic year |
| 92 – 93% | Risk of underachievement up to 90 missed lessons, up to 15 school days absent in an academic year. |
| 90 – 92% | Severe risk of underachievement up to 114 missed lessons, up to 19 school days absent in an academic year. |
| 90% and below | Extreme risk of underachievement over 130 missed lessons pupil is persistently absent upwards of 22 school days absent in an academic year. |
| 50% and below | Extreme risk of underachievement pupil is severely absent at least half of an academic year is missed. |
Students who arrive late to school miss crucial educational opportunities, such as assemblies, teacher-led instructions, and introductions. This can lead to feelings of embarrassment and social isolation.
Furthermore, chronic lateness can result in significant academic disadvantage, as illustrated in the table below. The cumulative impact of missed learning time can have a detrimental effect on both individual students and the overall classroom learning environment.
| Minutes late per Day | Equates to days of teaching lost in one year | Which means this number of lessons missed |
| 5 mins | 3 Days | 18 lessons |
| 10 mins | 6 Days | 36 lessons |
| 15 mins | 9 Days | 54 lessons |
“Authorised absence” signifies that the school has either granted prior permission for a compulsory-age student to be absent or has subsequently accepted a valid reason for the absence.
The following information outlines the main circumstances where absence may be authroised by the school:
3.1 illness
Unless the school doubts the legitimacy of the illness, procedures for authorised absence will be followed:
- If the school questions the validity of the illness, they may request medical documentation from the parent, such as a prescription, appointment card, or other relevant evidence.
- If the school remains unconvinced about the legitimacy of the illness, the absence will be categorized as unauthorized. For students with a significant number or frequency of absences, the school may require medical documentation to authorize future medical-related absences. Parents will be informed of this expectation in advance.
- Parents are responsible for reporting their child’s absence due to illness on the first day of absence. Failure to do so by 9:15 AM may result in the absence being deemed unauthorized. Parents should utilize the dedicated absence line to leave a message. For absences lasting more than one day, daily updates on the child’s condition are required, unless otherwise specified by the school.
3.2 Medical/Dental Appointments
Parents should try to make appointments outside of school hours wherever possible. Where appointments during school time are unavoidable, the pupils should only be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary for the appointment. It is not acceptable for a child to miss a whole day’s schooling for an appointment unless absolutely necessary, in which case the school will need an explanation as to why this is.
If a student has a medical appointment during school hours, they must be picked up from the school office by a parent or authorized adult. The parent or adult must sign the sign-out book. Students are not permitted to leave school grounds without parental consent.
Advance notice is required for medical or dental appointments, unless it’s an emergency appointment, and must be supported by providing the school with sight of, or a copy of, the appointment card or letter or any evidence—only then will the absence be authorised.
3.3 Religious Observance
Our school acknowledges the multi-faith nature of the school community and recognise that on some occasions, religious festivals may fall outside of school holidays or weekends. In accordance with the law, the school will authorise one day’s absence for a day exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which the parent belongs. Should any additional days be taken, these will be recorded in the register as unauthorised absences. If necessary, the school will seek advice from the parents’ religious body to confirm whether the day is set apart.
3.4 Traveller Absence
The school will approve absences for nomadic students who cannot attend school due to their family’s traveling lifestyle. This approval is contingent on factors like the child’s age and the duration of the absence. The school will discuss specific cases with the parents of nomadic students. Parents should inform the school about their travel plans as early as possible. Approved absences for nomadic students will be officially recorded.
3.5 Exclusions
If the school decides to send a pupil home due to their behaviour, this will be recorded as an Exclusion. Any exclusion must be agreed by the Principal.
- The school will inform the parent of the exclusion. If the student is in the care of social services, the school will also notify the student’s carer, social worker, and Virtual School. In other cases where the student is involved with Children’s Social Care, their allocated social worker will also be informed.
- A parent or authorized adult must collect the student from the school office and sign them out. No student will be allowed to leave the school grounds without parental consent.
The school emphasises the importance of good attendance through lessons on personal, social, health, and economic education (PSHE) and collective worship.
Attendance statistics and the significance of punctuality are shared with parents via the school newsletter.
To recognize perfect attendance, the school awards certificates and badges to students with 100% attendance each term.
Unauthorised absence is where a school is not satisfied with the reasons given for the absence.
Absence will be unthorised if a pupil is absent from school without the permission of the school. Whilst parent can provide explanations for absences, it is the school’s decision whether to authorise the absence or not.
Unthorised absence includes:
- Absence, which have never been properly explained
- Pupils who arrive at school too late to get a mark
- Shopping
- Birthdays
- Waiting at home for a washing machine to be mended or a parcel to be delivered
- Day trips
- Long weekends and holidays in term time (unless very exceptional circumstances are agreed in writing, in advance by the school)
- In the case of term time leave- if a pupil is kept away from school longer than was agreed, the additional absence is unauthorised.
If a student’s attendance rate falls below 98%, their parent or guardian will receive a written notification or email from the teacher. Persistent attendance rates below 96% will trigger a formal written warning from the Phase Leader, reminding parents of the school’s attendance policy. For attendance rates of 95% or lower, the Principal will personally contact parents to discuss the issue and issue a final warning. If a student’s attendance drops below 93%, the school may consider withdrawing their enrollment.
This policy will be reviewed regularly by the Board of Management (BOM) and the Principal, especially when necessary to address specific concerns. The principal will closely monitor the policy’s implementation and take appropriate actions, informing parents as needed. Parents are expected to familiarize themselves with this policy and adhere to its guidelines.