School attendance, advice for parents
Parents/carers must make sure their children receive a full-time education that meets their needs. This can be at school or otherwise (Elective Home Education).
If you're concerned about school attendance
Parents who are concerned about attendance should contact their child's school to tell them about the difficulties.
Where possible and appropriate, schools will try to assist parents by offering support or referring them to additional support services. Schools may also ask for medical evidence if a child's attendance becomes of concern.
For more information, see our guidance: Supporting children and young people who are unable to attend their educational setting.
Find your child's schools details
Did you know?
Absence disrupts the education of the individual pupil and the whole class. Are you aware those children who do not attend regularly:
- do not achieve well in exams
- find it difficult to maintain friendships
- are more likely to become involved in crime
- miss out on opportunities in further education and the world of work?
Every minute counts
Frequent absence can add up to a considerable amount of lost learning and can seriously disadvantage your child in adult life.
- 5 minutes late every day means around 3 ½ days of education are missed
- a score of 90% in a test would be a good result but 90% attendance means that a child will have missed around 100 lessons over a school year.
| Attendance during one school year | equals this number of days absent | which is approximately this many weeks absent | which means this number of lessons missed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95% | 9 days | 2 weeks | 50 lessons |
| 90% | 19 days | 4 weeks | 100 lessons |
| 85% | 29 days | 6 weeks | 150 lessons |
| 80% | 38 days | 8 weeks | 200 lessons |
Page last updated: 29 November 2024
