Absence and Attendance

Reporting absence

Please email attendance@chippingsodburyschool.com or call the dedicated attendance telephone line on 01454 862952 for each day of absence and leave the following information:

Student's name
Tutor group
Specific symptoms of illness/reason for absence
Caller's relationship to student

Please call/email the school by 9am every day your child is absent.

Illness

If your child is poorly, you must clearly state the symptoms your child is experiencing. Vague comments such as ‘unwell’, ‘not feeling right’ etc will be unauthorised. We also ask that, wherever possible, you send in any medical evidence such as a screenshot of a prescription or doctor's appointment.

If your child has ongoing health needs that we do not already know about, please get in touch and we can write an Individual Healthcare Plan so we know how best to support your child in school.

Why is attendance so important?

At Chipping Sodbury School we want all students to feel a sense of belonging in our wonderful school community. From inspiring lessons, exciting House events to enriching clubs, trips and visits, there is so much to enjoy at school!

Research shows that strong attendance at school supports a student's mental health and wellbeing, and enables them to achieve positive student outcomes, both academically and pastorally. Students with strong attendance get higher grades at GCSE and are more likely to secure employment in a job they find fulfilling. In addition, punctuality is a life skill that students need to develop from a young age in order to be successful in the world of work.

Students who are absent from school on a regular basis are at risk of feeling socially isolated and will develop gaps in their knowledge, possibly leading to school-based anxiety. The good news is that we have a team of incredible support staff, tutors, teachers and leaders who are very experienced in supporting a student’s transition back into school.

What is good attendance?

There is a common misconception that 90% attendance is good. This is actually not the case – the national goal set by the government is 96% or higher.

90% attendance equates to having half a day off school every week
80% attendance is equivalent to having one day off school every week

If a child has 90% attendance over the course of years 7-11 it is the equivalent to missing half a year of school. 80% attendance, over the five years, would mean a student had attended the same number of lessons for four school years, not five – essentially missing the whole of Year 11! The diagram below indicates how many days are missed per year:

Students have to attend school for 190 days a year which leaves 175 days for holidays, seeing friends and family, shopping, visits and appointments!

Help and support

We recognise that some students can struggle to attend school every day. If there is a barrier to your child attending school, please reach out to their tutor or PPL for support in the first instance. If concerns persist then our Student Support Team are highly skilled in supporting students with improving their attendance by exploring and addressing any worries and anxieties they may have. We may invite you in for a supportive School Attendance Plan meeting if your child is persistently absent (below 90%), or alternatively you can email the team via safeguarding@chippingsodburyschool.com or contact jennifer.howe@chippingsodburyschool.com, Senior Attendance Champion and Deputy Headteacher, if you need any support or advice.

We also have useful links to further advice and support covering a wide range of topics in the ‘Wellbeing Support’ section of our website HERE.

Rewards and recognition

On a daily basis we are impressed with students showing outstanding resilience to attend school and make the most of every lesson even when they don’t feel 100%. Below is a summary of how we award students for excellent effort with their attendance:

we hold a weekly attendance raffle for the top two attendees in each year group from Year 7-11. Any student who has been in for a full week has a chance of winning a popular ‘skip the lunch queue’ pass or a small, sweet treat. Look out for the winners on social media.
the House with the highest average attendance gets extra House Points, as they compete for the coveted House Attendance Cup.
we award the tutor group with the highest average attendance every week a box of chocolates.
every term we send celebration letters home to parents/carers in recognition of students who achieved 93% attendance or higher - House Points are also awarded under the categories ‘commendable, ‘great’, ‘excellent’ and ‘outstanding’.
every term, if a student attends four full weeks of school parents and carers are sent a ‘Attendance Star’ certificate. 'Attendance Superstar/Rockstar/Champion/ Legend' certificates are then available for attending a full 5, 6, 7 and 8 weeks thereafter.
every term we hold raffles in assemblies for those with 95-100% attendance that term. £10 Amazon vouchers are up for grabs!
three times a year we award nominated students our 'Resilience Award' for improved attendance and/or brilliant effort in attending school despite significant challenges. The students receive a very well deserved £20 cinema voucher.

Penalty notices

At Chipping Sodbury School we have a legal responsibility to ensure your child attends school every day whilst they are on roll with us. This includes following a national statutory framework with regards to penalty notices for 10 or more unauthorised absences (am or pm registration) over a rolling ten-week period that includes holidays.

See below for links to important guidance on changes to attendance and penalty notices in South Gloucestershire:

Please click HERE for information on unauthorised absence.
Please click HERE for changes to the law regarding penalty notices for unauthorised absence from school.

Requesting leave in term time

Please click HERE for the ‘Leave in Term Time Request Form’.

Further information

All policies and procedures relating to attendance can be found HERE.