There is a direct link between attendance and achievement. Absence is proven to have a significantly negative impact upon a child’s educational attainment; research also shows that the better a pupil’s attendance, the better their academic results will be. Regular attendance matters!

We don’t want your child to fall behind and get discouraged so please ensure that he/she attends school every day and arrives on time. Here are a few practical tips to help support regular attendance:

Talk to your child about the importance of attending school regularly.
Avoid scheduling family trips or doctor appointments during school hours.
Make sure your child stays healthy by eating nutritious food and getting enough sleep and exercise.
Don’t accept excuses for why your child “must” miss or be late for school.
Discuss with your child what happened at school each day.
Lead by example: if your child sees parents/guardians taking time off from work for no real reason, they may expect to be able to behave in the same way.
We hope that you appreciate how crucial good school attendance is to your child’s progress, achievement and chances in life and we look forward to working with you to ensure that your child’s attendance is the very best it can be.

Supporting good attendance

Pupils with excellent attendance and punctuality, receive recognition for excellence via the award of certificates, and are entered into the half termly prize draw.

Why good school attendance is important

School progress is closely linked to attendance because regular attendance is essential for maintaining continuity in learning and academic performance. Here’s how attendance impacts school progress:

Consistent Learning: Regular attendance ensures that pupils don’t miss important lessons, assignments, or assessments, which are vital for their academic growth. Missing school days can cause gaps in understanding, making it harder for students to keep up with the curriculum.
Engagement and Participation: When pupils attend school regularly, they are more likely to engage in class discussions, group activities, and hands-on learning experiences. These opportunities are important for deepening their understanding of subjects and developing critical thinking skills.
Higher Achievement: Studies show that pupils with better attendance tend to achieve higher grades and perform better on exams. Consistent attendance provides them with the structure and repetition needed to master key concepts.
Social and Emotional Development: School attendance also supports social and emotional growth by allowing students to build relationships with peers and teachers, which can foster a positive learning environment and support mental well-being.
Preparation for Future Success: Developing a habit of regular attendance teaches responsibility and time management, skills that are important for success beyond school, whether in higher education or the workplace.

If your child is ill it is important that you inform the college on each day of his/her absence. You will need to inform the college as soon as possible. Please leave a clear message spelling out your son/daughter's full name, form, the form tutor's name and a brief reason for his/her absence.  You are asked to telephone into the college for every day your child is absent. If your child is suffering from sickness, Covid-19 or diarrhoea, he/she should not return to school until 24 hours after the symptoms have ceased.

Should your child be ill in school then he/she should go straight to the school office who will contact you should he/she be deemed ill enough to go home. Pupils are not to contact parents/guardians by personal mobile phone before they visit the school office to report that they are unwell.

Planned Absences

Please make appointments with doctors, dentists etc. out of school time. Parents/Guardians should note that pupils who need to attend a doctor or dental appointment in school time should be collected from school by a parent/guardian.

In general, leave of absence will not be granted other than in exceptional circumstances, such as on compassionate grounds.  An application for leave of absence must be submitted to the Principal.

Please find some helpful information below for parents/guardians:

Download the Department of Education 'Parents Guide to School Absence': https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/publications/school-attendance-matters-parents-guide

'Try and Stop Me': https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/try-and-stop-me