Attendance and Punctuality

At Gosforth Academy, we strive for 100% attendance for all students. Every lesson counts and it is this commitment to learning that will have a positive effect on students' examinations and will improve their chances and choices in adult life.

Excellent attendance and punctuality prepare your child for the world of work and support the development of friendships and relationships.

We want your son/daughter to have the education and skills they need to live a happy and fulfilling life. There is the expectation that all students will attend the academy when it is in session.

Absence from the academy will have an effect on your child's progress. We firmly believe that working in partnership with parents/carers is the best way to improve outcomes for our students. The responsibility for deciding if an absence is authorised (within the law) or unauthorised lies with the academy.

We monitor attendance and punctuality closely and if your child is regularly absent or late, we may contact you to discuss how we can work together to improve the situation. In some cases, we may invite you into school for a meeting to discuss how we can best support you to improve your child’s punctuality.

If you are worried about your child’s attendance or punctuality, please contact us to discuss any issues you may be having.

How we categorise your child's attendance

We monitor and record the number of days absent your child has had within the academic year. This will put them into one of the following categories: Perfection, Excellent, Good, Slight Concern or Very Concerned. As a result of your child's attendance category, we may contact you to discuss how we can improve your child attendance in school.

At Gosforth Academy, we strive for 100% attendance for all students.

Why is good attendance important?

• Vital for pupils to achieve their full educational potential
• Continuity of learning which makes progress and retention easier
• Continuity of relationships and friendships
• Good references for further education or employment
• Good habits are formed for later life

What can you do to support your child's attendance

• Medical appointments - where possible book them outside of school hours.
• Family holidays - there are 175 days when students are not in school.
• Illness - Do not allow your child to have time off for minor complaints or illnesses: if they are well enough to be up and about they are generally well enough to attend school.
• Punctual - ensure your child arrives to school on time and ready to learn.

Arriving late each day can cost your days in lost learning time

Why is being on time important?

Every minute counts. If you arrive late to school every day your learning begins to suffer. It all adds up, being just 15 minutes late to school every day across the academic year is the equivalent of losing 10 days in the classroom!