Our Senior Attendance Champion (the senior leader responsible for the strategic approach to attendance in our school) is:
Mr D Chapman, Assistant Headteacher
daniel.chapman@sws.cheshire.sch.uk
01270660880
At Sir William Stanier we are proud to be part of a Trust that places high value on excellent attendance. It is not just a school expectation, it is a Trust-wide commitment that every pupil attends school regularly to maximise their learning and development.
Attendance Target for 2026/2027
The Trust’s attendance target for all pupils is 96% across the academic year. This equates to no more than 7 days of absence per year. This target aligns with the Government’s national expectation and reflects our shared belief that consistent attendance is essential for academic success and personal growth.
Why Attendance Matters
Regular attendance ensures that children do not miss vital learning opportunities. Evidence shows that children with good attendance are more likely to achieve their full potential.
We ask parents and carers to support us by avoiding holidays during term time, as these can significantly disrupt a child’s progress.
Understanding Attendance Percentages
What could happen if attendance drops below 96%?
Please read through our Attendance Booklet and guide for Parents/Carers:
What Parents Are Expected To Do
Parents and carers are expected to:
- Ensure your child attends school every day and arrives on time
- Ensure the school has up‑to‑date contact details
- Inform the school on the first day of illness or absence
- Contact the school each day of absence, unless otherwise agreed
If no contact is received regarding an absence, it will be recorded as unauthorised.
Your child is expected to attend school every day unless they are medically unfit or there is an urgent and unavoidable family reason.
Reporting Absence
Regular attendance and punctuality are essential to ensure your child makes the most of their education. We expect all students to attend school every day, on time, equipped and ready to learn.
The school day begins at 8:30am. Registers open at this time and students must arrive before 8:30am to be marked as present.
How to Report an Absence
Please contact the Attendance Office preferably before 8:20am on each day of absence.
Telephone: 01270 660880 (Option 1)
We require the following information:
- Your child’s name and year group
- The reason for absence
- The expected date of return
Lateness to School
Arriving Late
Students who arrive after 8:30am are considered late and this will be recorded on the register.
We expect punctuality from all students. Being “just a little bit late” every day has a significant impact on learning time over the course of a school year.
Consequences for Lateness
-
Arriving after 8:30am
→ 20‑minute lunchtime detention -
Failure to attend the lunchtime detention
→ 40‑minute after‑school detention -
Failure to attend the after‑school detention
→ Internal Suspension (IS) the following school day
These sanctions are in place to reinforce the importance of punctuality and personal responsibility.
Registers and Attendance Marks
Parents should be aware that a pupil who arrives at school after 9:30am will lose their attendance mark for that session.
The Department for Education states:
“All schools are expected to set out in their attendance policy the length of time the register will be open, after which a pupil will be marked as absent. This should be the same for every session and not longer than 30 minutes.”
This means that if your child arrives after 9:30am, they will be marked as late after the register has closed, which will negatively affect their overall attendance record.
Why Punctuality Matters
“Just a few minutes late doesn’t matter… does it?”
Being late to school on a regular basis quickly adds up to a significant loss of learning time.
|
“They only missed just…” |
That equals… |
Which is… |
And over a school career… |
|
10 minutes per day |
50 minutes per week |
Nearly 1.5 weeks per year |
Nearly 0.5 school years |
|
20 minutes per day |
1 hour 40 minutes per week |
Over 2.5 weeks per year |
Nearly 1 school year |
|
30 minutes per day |
Half a day per week |
4 weeks per year |
Nearly 1.5 school years |
|
1 hour per day |
1 day per week |
8 weeks per year |
Over 2.5 school years |
Preparing Students for the Future
We want our students to be ready for the world of work by Year 11. Good punctuality habits developed at school play a vital role in preparing students for further education, training, and employment.
Arriving on time shows:
- Commitment
- Responsibility
- Respect for learning and others
We appreciate your continued support in ensuring your child attends school every day and on time.
Persistent Absence
Persistent Absence is attendance below 90% at the end of an academic year. This equates to 19 days of school missed. As adults we know that 19 days of absence from your place of work would have implications going forward for employees. At Sir William Stanier we want all our pupils by Y11 to be workplace ready. Therefore, throughout the school year we monitor persistent absence as this is the best indicator as to which students will have absence concerns.
Government statistics have shown that since the pandemic and the prevalence of Covid-19, attendance, and parental views on absence from school have changed and is likely to have had a damaging effect on pupil attendance to school. This, in real terms, means that parents are more likely to book term time holidays and keep children off school, when previously they would have sent them in with minor bugs or illness.
In school we are aware that children become poorly and from time to time will be understandably absent from school. However, over a school year, attendance – for the vast majority of students—should not fall below 96%. This equates to around 6 days of absence. If attendances falls below 95%, a supportive process will be implemented as follows;
Attendance falls below 96% – ‘Attendance Letter 1’ is issued. This is automatic and is vital in informing parents of the drop in attendance.
If there is no positive signs of improvement following an ‘Attendance Letter 1’ being sent, ‘Attendance Letter 2’ is issued. This will ensure that the school and home agree a ‘Raising Attendance Plan’ to improve.
If Attendance continues to fall Attendance letter 3 is issued and a meeting is held at the school to discuss how improvements can be made to ensure good attendance. Should parents fail to engage with the school (and outside agencies) to improve attendance then the school will refer to their Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) to ensure that school attendance improves.
Requests for absence (Holidays)
The Headteacher will only authorise absences in exceptional circumstances. You will be informed whether the absence is authorised or not. Unauthorised absences can have serious consequences. We urge all families to follow the correct procedures and prioritise school attendance.
Download a request for absence form here:
Fixed Penalty Notices for Unauthorised Holidays
Under the Education Act (1996), parents are legally required to ensure their child attends school regularly. If a child has 10 consecutive sessions (equivalent to 5 full school days) of unauthorised absence, parents may be issued with a Penalty Notice.
Initial Penalty Notice: £160 per parent, per child (reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days).
Failure to Pay: May result in prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.
From August 2024, if a second penalty notice is issued within a 3-year rolling period, the fine will remain at £160 with no discount. A maximum of two penalty notices may be issued per parent, per child in that period. Further offences may lead to legal action by the Local Authority.
We appreciate your continued support in ensuring your child attends school every day. Together, we can give every child the best possible start in life.
Links
Our Attendance Policy can be found in the policy section of our website
Policies | Sir William Stanier School
If you require support for your child’s attendance, then you can access these links below, or contact our Attendance Officer (email address above) or your child’s Pastoral Manager.
DFE: Working Together to Improve School Attendance (Support for Parents)