At Christ Church, we are driven by an unwavering commitment to making school attendance a top priority, fully integrated with every aspect of school improvement. We promote regular attendance to raise levels of achievement of all children and support children and families to connect, belong and thrive.
The Importance of School Attendance
School attendance is not merely a requirement but a fundamental pillar of education. It plays a pivotal role in shaping academic success, personal growth, and future prospects, making it an indispensable aspect of any educational system.
Academic Achievement: Regular attendance directly correlates with academic success. Children who attend school consistently are more likely to keep up with the curriculum, perform better in exams, and improve their life outcomes.
Knowledge Acquisition: School is where children acquire knowledge and skills that are crucial for their personal and professional growth. Missing days means missing out on valuable learning opportunities.
Social Development: School provides a vital social environment for children to interact with peers, develop friendships, and learn essential social skills. Consistent attendance ensures children remain connected to their peer group.
Building Routine: School attendance establishes a structured routine in children's lives, teaching them time management and responsibility, which are valuable life skills.
Teacher Interaction: Regular attendance allows for meaningful teacher-child interactions. Teachers can provide personalised support, address questions, and assess individual progress more effectively when children attend regularly.
Preventing Knowledge Gaps: Frequent absences can lead to significant knowledge gaps, making it challenging for children to catch up with missed lessons, potentially resulting in long-term academic struggles.
School Engagement: Children who attend school regularly are more likely to engage in extracurricular activities, sports, and other enriching experiences that contribute to their overall development.
Legal and Parental Responsibility: Parents or guardians are legally responsible for ensuring their child's regular school attendance. Failing to do so can lead to legal consequences.
Community Well-being: High levels of school attendance contribute to the overall well-being of communities.
Our Multi-Tiered System of Support for School Attendance
We implement a multi-tiered system of support for school attendance. This involves three tiers of intervention, with roles for school staff, children, parents and external agencies, including Dudley Local Authority. The system aligns with the Department for Education's (DfE) attendance guidelines.
Celebrating Excellent Attendance and Progress
We endeavour to recognise both personal and collective achievements. We aim to culture positive environments, nurture relationships, foster inclusivity and cultivate intrinsic motivation among our children, families and staff.
We promote good attendance in the following ways :
- Each Friday, children who have attended every session during the week, receive a 10/10 attendance sticker from their class teacher.
- Class attendance from the previous week is celebrated at the end of phase worship time every week.
- A weekly app message is sent to parents and carers, celebrating class attendance.
- Half-termly certificates are presented to pupils with 100% attendance, those whose attendance is over 96% and those whose attendance has improved.
- Half-termly certificates are presented to pupils who have been on time for school every day.
- Each term, certificates are presented to pupils with 100% attendance, those whose attendance is over 96% and those whose attendance has improved.
- Special weeks such as ‘Tick Tock Challenge’ week are scheduled to promote good attendance and punctuality.
From time to time, some families may experience difficulties at home or at school which are preventing good attendance. The staff at Christ Church are always willing to give whatever help they can. Please pop in and see us.