At Budmouth Academy we firmly believe that all students benefit from regular school attendance. In fact, evidence suggests that a student with attendance of below 90% has only a 27% chance of achieving 5 grades 9-4 in their GCSE results, regardless of ability. To this end, we will do all we can to ensure that our students achieve maximum possible attendance and that any problems that prevent full attendance are identified and acted upon promptly.
Our expectation is that all students’ attendance is 100%, unless there is a genuine reason for absence approved by the delegated member of staff.
We expect that all parents/carers who have day to day responsibility for the children and young people will:
- encourage regular school attendance and be aware of their legal responsibilities
- ensure that the child/children in their care arrive at school punctually, prepared for the school day
- contact the school before 8.00am on the morning of each day of the student’s absence by calling the 24-hour attendance line. Any unexplained absence is recorded as unauthorised absence
- contact the school promptly whenever any problem occurs that may keep the child away from school
As a school, we place a high priority on attendance as it has a marked impact on learning and academic achievement. Please see the table below explaining the impact of attendance on lessons missed.
| Annual attendance | Days missed | Lessons missed |
| 100% | 0 days missed | 0 lessons missed |
| 95% | 9.5 days of absence
Almost two weeks of learning missed |
57 lessons missed |
| 90% | 19 days of absence
3 weeks and 4 days of learning missed |
114 lessons missed |
| 85% | 28.5 days missed
5 weeks and 3.5 days of learning missed |
171 lessons missed |
| 80% | 38 days of absence
7 weeks and 3 days of learning missed This is the equivalent of an entire half-term |
228 lessons missed |
We do recognise, however, that a student’s absence due to an illness or a medical appointment can be unavoidable.
We encourage parents to make medical and dental appointments out of school hours where possible. Where this is not possible, the student should be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary. the school will not authorise more absence than is required to attend the appointment.
Links to information, guidance and support to help your child with their attendance:
Attendance Overview for Parents
- Parents are asked to phone school or email attendance@budmouth-aspirations.org before 8:00am on the morning of any unplanned absence. They can also leave a message out of hours if they prefer by calling the school number: 01305 830502. The school day is as follows:
| Time | Years 7 and 8 | Years 9, 10, 11 and 6th Form |
| 8.30 – 8.55 | Tutorial/Assembly | Tutorial/Assembly |
| 8.55- 9.55 | Period 1 | Period 1 |
| 9.55 – 10.55 | Period 2 | Period 2 |
| 10.55 – 11.20 | Break | Break |
| 11.20 – 12.20 | Period 3 | Period 3 |
| 12.20 – 2.00 | Period 4 followed by 40 mins lunch | Lunch followed by Period 4 |
| 2.00- 3.00 | Period 5 | Period 5 |
Parent/carer must email/telephone each day their child is absent from school.
- If the reason is known this will be recorded in Arbor using the appropriate symbol.
- Between 9.15am – 10:00am an SMS message is sent to parents/carers regarding unexplained absences.
- If there is a second day of absence a follow up phone call will be made.
- Students who arrive late for school or lessons will be issued a lunchtime detention.
- Budmouth will monitor/analyse the attendance of students referring concerns to HoS, PSL or SLT.
- If you wish to discuss your child’s attendance please contact their Head of School or Pete Pring (Vice Principal)ppring@budmouth-aspirations.org
- Holiday Requests: Please speak to the relevant Head of School or email attendance@budmouth-aspirations.org.
- Missing Students: If a student is missing from their lesson, then following a brief investigation by the on-call member of staff. A phone call will be made to parents.
- Budmouth Academy will liaise with external agencies regarding attendance. Students who have more than 10 days of unauthorised absence will be termed a child missing in education and Dorset Council will be notified.
- If there is no improvement in a student’s attendance following a range of different interventions, then parents/guardians will be invited to attend an external panel with Dorset Council. A possible outcome of this panel is a penalty notice.
- A Penalty Notice may be issued: • Where a parent has taken the pupil on a leave of absence during term-time without the school’s authorisation and there are unauthorised absences of at least 10 sessions (5 school days), or if more than one period of absence is taken during term-time within any 12 month period without the school’s authorisation and there are unauthorised absences of at least 10 sessions (5 school days) overall. A Fixed Penalty Notice can be issued in lieu of prosecution in cases where there is persistent unauthorised leave in term time within any 12 month period (3 or more periods of absence, regardless of number of sessions missed).