- Home
- Parents
- Attendance
Attendance
Dear Parents and Carers,
At Harwich and Dovercourt High School, we are committed to ensuring every student has the best possible opportunity to succeed, and one of the key factors in achieving this is regular school attendance.
Why Attendance Is So Important
Good attendance is directly linked to high achievement and a sense of belonging at school. When students attend regularly, they not only make better academic progress, but they also build strong friendships, develop routines, and gain confidence in their learning.
Key Facts About Attendance
- 95% attendance means your child is missing about 10 days of school in a year - that’s two full weeks of learning.
- 90% attendance may sound acceptable, but it actually means missing one day every two weeks - which adds up to four weeks of learning lost over the school year.
- Over 5 years, a student with 90% attendance misses half a year of education.
- Evidence shows that students with higher attendance are significantly more likely to achieve better GCSE or equivalent outcomes.
- Attendance below 90% is classed as ‘persistent absence’ and is monitored closely by the school and local authority.
- Being just 5 minutes late each day adds up to over three full days of lost learning each year.
- Children who miss school frequently can find it harder to catch up with classwork and may feel less confident socially and academically.
New Guidance and Policy Updates
To help parents decide whether they should allow their child a day off school when unwell, the NHS has produced guidance on common illnesses, available on the ‘NHS – Is my child too ill for school?’ webpage. This guidance underpins our decisions about whether absence due to illness can be authorised.
From September 2024, the new government attendance regulations have come into effect. As a result, the Sigma Trust has updated our own attendance policy, which you can view via this link:
We continue to work closely with our partners at Aquinas Provision to support students and their families in promoting regular school attendance.
Our Expectations and Support
We aim for all students to have attendance of 96% or above. Of course, we understand that illness and exceptional circumstances can sometimes affect attendance, and we encourage open communication when this happens.
All parents/carers are encouraged to contact the school at an early stage if any issues arise. Working together in this way is nearly always successful in resolving concerns. If difficulties cannot be resolved informally and you are invited to a school meeting regarding attendance, we kindly ask you to attend or contact us to explain any barriers your child may be facing.
If there is ever an occasion when your child cannot attend school, we ask that you contact the school by 8.30am on the first day of absence and each day thereafter. You can do this by calling 01255 245460 and leaving a message on the absence line, or by contacting your child’s Student Support Assistant directly if you need to speak with a member of staff.
What You Can Do
- Aim to schedule routine appointments outside of school hours whenever possible.
- Keep up-to-date with school term dates.
- Notify the school as early as possible if your child is absent and let us know the reason.
- Encourage good routines around sleep, nutrition, and punctuality to support daily school attendance.
Together, we can ensure that every child at Harwich and Dovercourt High School has the best chance to reach their potential. Thank you for your continued support.
Warm regards,
Mr G Simpson
Assistant Headteacher - Attendance Champion
https://www.essex.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools/school-attendance-and-absence
We place a strong emphasis on the importance of punctuality. Arriving on time sets a positive tone for the day, helps students settle into learning, and ensures they don’t miss vital information during tutor time and morning lessons.
All students are expected to be on site by 8:35am each day, ready to start learning promptly. Being punctual shows respect for others, builds good habits for the future, and supports a calm, focused start to the school day.
Students who arrive after 9:05am without a valid reason will receive a ‘U’ code, which counts as an unauthorised absence for the session. Repeated U codes may lead to further action in line with our attendance policy.
We ask all parents and carers to support their child in developing a reliable morning routine - because every minute of learning counts.
The parent is legally responsible for ensuring that their child receives a suitable education. (Section 7, Education Act 1996). Failure to ensure that their child attends school punctually and regularly could lead to legal action being taken against the parent.
Your local council can issue each parent a fine of £80, rising to £160 if you do not pay within 21 days.
From the 2024 to 2025 school year, each parent will only receive up to 2 fines for the same child in a 3-year period.
If you are issued a second fine in 3 years it will be £160. If you do not pay the fine in 28 days you may be taken to court for keeping your child out of school.
If your child is off school 3 or more times within the 3 years you will not be fined but may be taken to court.
The School complies with government legislation, which states that term time leave of absence can only be taken in ‘exceptional circumstances’. For example: Forces personnel on leave from a foreign posting or significant family events or circumstances. If this is the case, a ‘Leave of Absence’ request form must be completed; this can be obtained from the Attendance Office. When returned to the Attendance Office, it should be accompanied by a letter of explanation. If the School considers an application has not justified ‘Exceptional Circumstances’, approval will not be given. This is a school decision. If the leave of absence is then taken regardless, the school may seek to apply for a Penalty Notice in accordance with Education (Penalty Notices) Regulations 2004. The LEA will impose fines and prosecute parents for unauthorised holidays and prolonged unauthorised absence. There is a fine of £60 per parent, per child for authorised leave of absence.
If you have any questions relating to attendance in the school please contact:
CHARLOTTE DUNKLEY, ATTENDANCE OFFICER
GARY SIMPSON, ASSISTANT HEADTEACHER