Attendance

At Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School we have high expectations of our pupils and strive to ensure that they achieve their potential in all that they do.

Research clearly indicates that regular attendance at school, coupled with prompt arrival, has a positive impact on achievement.  Therefore we place much emphasis on the importance of our pupils having good records of attendance and punctuality.

It has been shown that a poor record of attendance can have a significant negative impact on a child’s learning and progress.  National studies consistently show that pupils who do not have a good record of attendance fail to reach their full potential at school.  The performance of pupils drops dramatically if their attendance level falls below 95% and they will have missed a significant amount of lesson time. As such, we expect high standards of attendance from our pupils.  A pupil should only be absent from school if there is a justifiable reason for their absence; the school only authorise the absence if this is the case.  Medical appointments must not take place during the school day, except in an emergency and holidays during school time should only be taken if they have been authorised by the school beforehand; however, holidays during school time will only be authorised in exceptional circumstances.  On the day of return after any absence from school, an explanation of the absence must be given to the form tutor in writing; this is a legal requirement.

We always expect our pupils to arrive on time to school – we need you as parents to support us with this.  Please ensure that your child packs their bag and gets everything ready for school during the previous evening so that they are fully prepared for their day ahead.  Please also ensure that they get up in the morning at a time which allows them to get ready, have breakfast and leave in good time so that they arrive to school by 8.20 am at the latest.

By working together in this way, we will ensure that your child gets into good habits of attendance and punctuality which will serve them well during their time at NBS, and into a successful future.