At Guru Nanak Sikh Academy we would like to improve attendance levels and punctuality. Attending regularly and starting the day on time is very important. We aim to foster an open and honest dialogue with our parents about their child’s attendance and work collaboratively with parents, students and outside agencies to help and support every child in the Academy.

Of the 365 days in a year, 190 days are in school and 175 days are non-school days to spend with family, friends, on holiday, shopping or appointments. In an ideal world we would like to see all students in school for 190 days, realistically we expect students to be in school for at least 183 days out of the allocated 190.

We sincerely hope you can support us in our mission to achieve good attendance and time keeping.

Why Attendance is Important?

• There is a link between good school attendance and high level attainment.
• Pupil learning is uninterrupted.
• Promotes pupil welfare and safeguarding.
• Enables pupils to access the widest possible range of opportunities.
• Relationships with friends and teachers are maintained and can grow.
• Lowers stress levels as students feel they can ‘keep up’ academically.
• Attendance and punctuality habits often carry into later life.
• Pupils are in a safe environment.

Regular school attendance is an important part of giving your child the best possible start in life and is important to your child’s future.

What the data tells us…

There are proven links between attainment and attendance, now more than ever young people need a good academic foundation to be prepared to enter the competitive world of work;

• 3% of pupils who miss more than 50% of school manage to achieve 5 A*-C (9-4)
• 35% of pupils who miss 10%-20% of school manage to achieve 5 A*-C (9-4)
• 73% of pupils who miss 5% of school manage to achieve 5 A*-C (9-4)

What Parents/carers can do to help?

6% attendance is regarded as minimum satisfaction by the UK Government. Parents/carers are legally responsible for ensuring their child attends school on time every day.

• Find out what date each term starts and make sure your child is ready.
• Get as much prepared the evening before to save time in the morning and help have a calm start to the day.
• Check the alarm is set.
• Talk about the importance of regular attendance and how your child feels about school.
• Where possible all medical appointments should be booked after school hours, at weekends or during school holidays. The amount of disruption to learning time should be kept to a minimum if this is not possible.
• Contact the school and speak to your child’s form tutor if you have any concerns regarding school.
• Build regular routines for bedtime and the morning. Secondary children need between 8-11 hours of sleep each night.
• Restrict access to electronic devices 1 hour before bed.

Lateness & Punctuality

Pupils arriving late may seriously disrupt not only their learning but also that of others. When pupils arrive late after the close of registers and fail to provide an adequate explanation they are marked as unauthorised for that session. Arriving at school on time not only teaches children an important life skill, it also ensures they receive their full education. Important activities start in class the moment school opens. School is open from 7.50 (Secondary) and 8.25 (Primary). It is vital that children are IN CLASS ready to begin learning by 8.00 (Secondary) and 8.30 (Primary) at the latest.

Lateness may result in:

• Pupils being embarrassed or unsettled
• Missing important information shared in tutor time
• Missing the start of learning
• Missing opportunities to socialise with their friends at the start of the school day

10 minutes late every day = 36 hours lost learning each year

Persistent Absence

f your child's attendance falls below 90% they are considered to be a persistent absentee. This equates to 2 days a month, or 20 days of a school year. As a school we must report persistent absence to the Participation Team at our Local Authority, who may then decide on legal action.

Statistics prove that persistent absentees are less likely to achieve their full potential, and can effect GSCE results and future employability.

Monitoring Attendance

Our students are encouraged to take a responsibility for their own attendance. Our work involves very close relations with the London Borough of Hillingdon Participation Team and we arrange regular attendance clinics with students who need some support to maintain regular attendance.

Absences

We ask our parents to help us improve their children’s attendance by sending your child to school unless they are too ill to attend. If your child is absent from school, a telephone call or message is to be given on the first day and every day of your child’s absence. Please call 0208 573 6085 Ext. 227 send a message through school gateway or E-mail welfare@gnsa.co.uk.

Studies have been done to suggest that there is a clear link between attendance and achievement.

Simple guidelines to help your child’s attendance

• Ensure that your child attends everyday
• Provide medical evidence for any illness taken
• Arrange holidays during school holidays
• Arrange medical appointments after school or in the holidays
• If medical appointments have to be made during school time, please keep them to a minimum.

Please see our Attendance Policy in the policy section on the website for more information.