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Attendance - Every Day Counts

Attendance - Every Day Counts

Attendance is the foundation of success. When students attend regularly and arrive on time, they learn more, feel more confident and achieve stronger outcomes.

We expect every student to aim for 100% attendance and punctuality. This is achievable and the impact on progress is significant.

Attendance is not just about learning. It is central to wellbeing, safeguarding and belonging within our academy community.

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Why attendance matters

Absence adds up quickly.

90% attendance = one day missed every fortnight
90% over five years = half a school year missed
80% over five years = one full school year missed

Students with attendance below 90% are significantly less likely to achieve strong GCSE outcomes compared with peers attending above 95%.

Even attendance below 95% can begin to affect progress.

We monitor attendance weekly so that we can identify concerns early and offer support before patterns become entrenched.

How to report an absense.

There is a proven link between great attendance and great outcomes.

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Attendance definitions

We use clear thresholds to help families understand expectations. These form the basis of our attendance league:

^Threshold	^Rank	^{Impact on progress}	^{What this means}
^{99 - 100}	^Champion	^{At least + 1 grade}	^{Outstanding commitment. Students typically exceed expected progress.}
^{96 - 98.99}	^{Gold Medallist}	^{Target to + ½ grade}	^{Strong attendance. Students are well placed to achieve or exceed targets.}
^94-95.99	^{Silver Medallist}	^{Target to – ½ grade}	^{Secure attendance. Close monitoring to protect progress.}
^90-93.99	^{Bronze Medallist}	^{- ½ grade to 1 grade}	^{Attendance beginning to impact progress. Early intervention triggered.}
^85-89.99	^Apprentice	^{- 1 grade}	^{Persistent absence. Formal monitoring and targeted support.}
^85<	^Training	^{- 1 grade or more}	^{Severe absence. Multi-agency involvement to secure attendance.}

Students who are Apprentice or Training are classed as Persistently Absent.

Persistent absence triggers targeted support and formal monitoring. Where improvement is not secured, we may work with the local authority to ensure students receive their full entitlement to education.

Our aim is always improvement, not punishment.

Start of the school day

Gates open: 8:00am
Students must be in the building by: 8:25am
Lessons begin promptly at: 8:30am

We recommend students arrive by 8:15am to ensure a calm, purposeful start. See full details of the academy day.

Students arriving after 8:25am will receive a punctuality sanction unless an exceptional reason has been communicated by a parent or carer.

If a student arrives after the register closes, they are recorded as U (unauthorised absence) for that session.

Punctuality protects learning time, for your child and for others.

HACL Gate Opening (1)

Working in partnership

We understand that there can occasionally be exceptional circumstances that affect attendance. Where barriers arise – including health, anxiety, SEND or family circumstances – we work closely with families to remove obstacles and agree clear improvement plans.

We act early.
We communicate clearly.
We expect engagement.

Our shared goal is simple: every student in school, every day, achieving their best.

Download a copy of Working Together to Achieve Excellence which outlines how Harris Federation academies and their parents can work together to help all students achieve.