Let's Look at Attendance...
We often look at weekly attendance awards, but how does attendance look compared to the national picture, what are we doing well, and what could be done better? Attendance and punctuality are key to a good education and preparation for life beyond school. High attendance is linked to high outcomes. Pupils whose weeks are peppered with days off often have greater gaps in knowledge and skills, even when they 'catch-up' afterwards.
The national average for attendance in primary schools is currently 94.6%. Dosthill is more than 1% ahead and (when rounded) in line with our minimum target of 96%+, but summer is here, and we have tended to see a spike in absences during this term.
You can see from above that there are some year groups where we may need to support more than others when it comes to improving attendance. Below you will see there are even variations between classes. As a school, we look at why those variations exist and what we can do to support the pupils (and their families) whose attendance could be improved.
At Dosthill, most absences are authorised. It's often illness that's the cause.
Whilst low, there are also circumstances when absences cannot be authorised. Holidays in term-time are a key example. It isn't personal.
When you get your end of year reports this year, you'll be able to compare your own child's attendance against the school and national averages. We know that's only the end or the start of the story. Let's work together to make it a success story for your children.