Attendance FAQ
Why is there such a focus on attendance at APS?
We want your child to be here as much as possible! We love having your child with us every day. Regular attendance at school is really important because:
- Being at school every day helps children socially. Even short absences can impact on friendship groups. We want Aldersbrook children to be happy and excited to come to school.
- Government research shows that there is a close link between attendance at school and a child’s achievement.
This is why the Government released new guidance in August 2024 to support schools to improve attendance of pupils. This guidance is statutory, which means we have to implement it.
What are the changes in the new guidance?
Click here to find out the key changes from August 2024
What is PA?
PA stands for ‘Persistently absent’. This is when your child’s attendance is below 90%.
What is "risk of PA"?
Risk of PA is when your child’s attendance is at risk of dropping below 90%- we aim to offer early intervention support at this stage.
What is an PN?
PN stands for ‘Penalty Notice’. PNs are issued for unauthorised absences, this includes term time holidays. We will consider if the national threshold for considering a penalty notice has been met (10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks).
Can I just go on holiday and pay the fine?
PNs have now been capped nationally at TWO fines within any 3 year period. After this, other action like a parenting order or prosecution has to be considered- this could mean a much larger fine!
What is an unauthorised absence?
A child being kept off school unnecessarily or without good reason. Term-time holidays are not a justified reason to take your child out of school.
What happens if I keep my child off, and don’t contact school?
School will call home to try and obtain a reason for absence- if no reason is provided, school may carry out a visit to your home. This is to check on the welfare of you and your child.
My child is nervous about coming into school. What can I do?
Talk to us! We can help to support your family and child. There's lots of guidance available online too that might help: