We take school absence very seriously. We identify students whose attendance drops below 97% and provide support and intervention to help improve this. Whilst it is the law that you ensure your child attends school regularly, we have a moral duty to support where needed. It is important for parents or carers to work together with the school when attendance drops below 97%.
| Annual Attendance % | Days attended | Days/Weeks Absent |
|---|---|---|
| 100% | 190 | 0 |
| 97% | 184 | 6 days |
| 95% | 180 | 2 weeks |
| 90% | 171 | 4 weeks |
| 85% | 161 | 6 weeks |
| 80% | 152 | More than ½ a term |
| 75% | 143 | 9+ weeks absent |
Students who attend school at least 97% of the year, perform better in their exams. Low attendance can impact negatively on progress and well-being in several ways. Please contact Student Support if your child is struggling in school so that appropriate support can be offered to minimise absence.
May we remind you that when phoning or messaging in for a student who is off school we need an actual reason for the absence.
If you just tell us the student is ill/unwell/not well/poorly etc. this will not be classed as an authorised absence.
To report an absence or if you have any questions or concerns, or you need support to improve your child’s attendance, please contact us using the following details.
Absence
Tel: 01325 300328, option 1
Email: attendance-team@woodham.org.uk
Support
If your child is struggling to attend school, please contact their Head of Learning on 01325 300328
Year 7 – Miss A Abson
Year 8 – Miss G Leybourne
Year 9 – Miss R Woolley
Year 10 – Mrs S Ketch
Year 11 – Mrs V Fawcett
If your child has an urgent medical appointment that cannot be taken out of school hours he/she will still be required to be in school both before and after the appointment where possible. If your child is not in before /after their appointment this will be classed as an unauthorised absence.
In some cases, you will be asked to provide an appointment card/letter in order for your child’s absence to be classed as medical otherwise your child will be marked in as late or as an unauthorised absence.
Students line up at 8:45am with their tutor. The school day starts at 8.50am. Any student who arrives after this time but before 9.40am will receive a late mark. Students who arrive to school after 9.40am will have an unauthorised attendance mark for the morning session unless medical evidence can be provided. The school day ends at 3.15pm.
| Minutes late per day | Equivalent of missing | How many lessons that are missed |
|---|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 3.4 school days per year | 17 lessons |
| 10 minutes | 6.9 school days per year | 35 lessons |
| 15 minutes | 10.3 school days per year | 51 lessons |
| 20 minutes | 13.8 school days per year | 69 lessons |
| 30 minutes | 20.7 school days per year | 104 lessons |
Medical evidence is requested when your child’s attendance falls below 95%. Parents/carers will need to provide medical evidence to the school for the school to be able to authorise the absence. Medical evidence for minor illnesses can be:
Please check with a member of the Attendance team if you are unsure about the evidence you have or need. Please liaise with the Student Support team for prolonged absence.
Requests for Leave of Absence will be considered on an individual basis and will consider the student’s attendance, punctuality, behaviour, and progress and whether the leave is during an assessment/examination period.
Leave of Absence may be granted:
Please note that Leave of Absence will not be granted:
Where Leave of Absence is not granted, a parent may still choose to take their child out of school, however, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised. The Durham County Council’s Attendance Improvement Team are notified about unauthorised absence and this may result in a penalty notice being issued or prosecution in accordance with the statutory guidance ’Parental responsibility measures for school attendance and behaviour’.
You can find a Leave of Absence application form here.
You will automatically receive notifications if your child is not registered in the morning and you have not provided us with a reason for absence. This will require a response from you to inform us of the reason your child is absent.
You are required to contact us every day by either phone or e-mail if your child is not going to be in school for illness or any other reason. This includes if your child is absent for a period of time.
If we do not hear from you in the morning the entire day will be marked as unauthorised.
Attendance phone line: 01325 300328 (Option 1)
Attendance email address: attendance-team@woodham.org.uk
This absence will only be authorised if the school has contacted you and advised that your child is being sent home.
If your child calls you and you come and collect them this will not be an authorised absence. Should your child call you, please advise them that they need to go to Student Support to be seen by a First Aider who will assess your child and contact you if they need to go home.
