Attendance

Attendance

Nicola Logan, Attendance Lead

Every day of learning matters at Christ the Word Catholic School.

It is our aim that all pupils attend regularly and on time to reap the full benefits from the school’s provisions and reach their full potential.

As a school we want to support you in ensuring your child attends school everyday.  If you are struggling please let us know so that we can help.  We work closely with the Local Authority Attendance Team, Health and Family Link to support families who are struggling with their child’s attendance.

Absence from, or lateness to, school:

• When your child is unwell please notify the school as soon as possible on the same day that your child will not be at school.  Please phone the office on 01745 352999 before 8.30 if possible.
• If your child has not been marked in for morning registration, the school will contact parents/carers by text by 10am. If you do receive a message or text it would be appreciated if you could reply by text or by phone as soon as possible.
• You will need to phone the school every day if your child is ill for more than one day
• Please note that if the authenticity of an illness is in doubt the school can request parents to provide medical evidence to support the illness, this evidence can take the form of copies of prescriptions, appointment cards etc.
• School starts at 8.45am, all pupils are expected to be in school and ready for registration at this time.
• If your child arrives after registration closes at 9.15am, they will receive a U code on the register which will have a negative effect on their overall attendance.

 
Appointments:

• Please try to make dental and non-urgent/routine doctors’ appointments before or after school, although the school appreciates that this is not always possible particularly with orthodontist/hospital appointments.
• If you have to make an appointment during school hours please try to make the time missed from school as short as possible.

 
Holidays during term time up-date:

A list of all term and holiday dates can be found here. Parents and carers need to ask for permission for planned absences, including holidays during term time, by completing an ‘absence request form’. This needs to be returned to school before any absence.

Christ the Word Catholic School will not authorise any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. These requests must be made in advance.  This will mean that any request made for a holiday will automatically be declined and student’s attendance record will be marked as ‘unauthorised holiday’ should the holiday still take place. Unauthorised holidays can result in a Fixed Penalty Notice.

Good school attendance is key to helping children have the best possible start in life to support and maximise their potential learning opportunities. There is clear evidence which links educational achievement to good school attendance.

At Christ the Word Catholic School, we know that:
At primary school, children who attend school nearly every day in Year 6 (95-100% attendance) are 30% more likely to reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths compared to similar pupils who attend 90-95% of the time.

The link is even stronger at secondary school. Year 11 pupils with near-perfect attendance are almost twice as likely to achieve a high-grade pass in English and Maths GCSE, compared to similar pupils attending 90-95% of the time. In other words, missing just 10 extra days a year reduces the likelihood of achieving these grades by around 50%.

• 1 school year at 90% attendance = 4 whole weeks of lessons missed.
• 90% attendance over 5 years of secondary school = ½ a school year missed.

 
In recognition that school attendance and attainment are strongly linked, a robust attendance procedure has been developed to support pupils learning. The procedure includes absence prompts and opportunities to meet with staff to support parents/guardians/ carers in achieving the highest possible attendance for their child. However, it also has triggers to progress the matter to court for a parental prosecution where there is a failure of parents/guardians to take up the support offered and where the child’s education suffers.

Why Attendance Matters
✅ Higher Achievement – Pupils who attend school regularly perform better academically, particularly in subjects like English and Maths.
✅ Social & Cognitive Development – Attending school every day helps children build friendships, develop social skills, and grow in confidence.
✅ Long-Term Benefits – Good attendance lays the foundation for future success in education and career opportunities.

The Impact of Poor Attendance
🚨 Lower Achievement – Children with high absence rates often struggle with tests, fall behind their peers, and find it harder to catch up.
🚨 Social & Emotional Struggles – Absence can lead to feelings of isolation, lower self-esteem, and difficulty forming friendships.
🚨 Future Challenges – Poor attendance can affect long-term prospects, including access to higher education and career opportunities.

A Letter From Denbighshire’s Head of Education