Why is attendance at school important?
At Imberhorne School, we believe that excellent attendance is one of the most important factors in helping young people achieve their full potential.
When a child is absent from school, they miss out on the high-quality teaching, pastoral support and wider opportunities that are available every day. Learning is carefully planned and sequenced, meaning that even short periods of absence can make it more difficult for students to keep up with their peers.
Regular attendance also supports students' social and emotional development. School provides daily opportunities to build friendships, develop confidence, work collaboratively and access support from trusted adults.
Research consistently shows that good attendance is strongly linked to improved educational outcomes and better life chances. Young people who attend school regularly are more likely to achieve strong qualifications, access further education and employment opportunities, and enjoy improved health and wellbeing in later life.
We want every student at Imberhorne School to have the very best opportunities for success, and excellent attendance is a key part of achieving this.
The impact of attendance on GCSE outcomes
Attendance has a significant impact on academic achievement.
Students whose attendance in Year 11 was 90% or below achieved, on average, one and a half grades lower per GCSE subject than students whose attendance was 97% or above.
This highlights the substantial difference that regular attendance can make to a young person's educational outcomes and future opportunities.
How can I check my child's attendance?
Parents and carers can monitor their child's attendance at any time through the MyChildAtSchool (MCAS) app or website.
This provides up-to-date attendance information and allows families to track attendance throughout the academic year.
If you do not currently have access to MCAS please contact itsupport@imberhorne.co.uk for assistance.
What support is available to help my child attend school regularly?
We recognise that attendance difficulties can arise for a variety of reasons and are committed to working in partnership with families to provide support wherever possible.
Tutor
Every student has a tutor whom they meet each day at 8:40am. Tutors are often the first point of contact for students and families and can provide support or signpost concerns to the appropriate member of staff.
Head of Year and Pastoral Officer
Each year group has a dedicated Head of Year and Pastoral Officer who work closely with students and families to promote attendance, wellbeing and achievement.
Medical Officer
The school has a full-time Medical Officer on site who can support students with medical needs during the school day. Wherever possible, we encourage students to attend school unless they are genuinely too unwell to do so.
Attendance Team
Our Attendance Officer works closely with students and families to improve attendance and overcome barriers to school attendance.
If you are experiencing difficulties getting your child into school, please contact us. We are here to help and will work with you to identify appropriate support.
Medical Appointments
We ask that all appointments are made outside of the school day where possible, however we understand that sometimes this is beyond your control. If you need to inform us of any absence that requires your son/daughter to leave during the school day, please use the following procedure which will ensure that all staff who need to know are informed, in advance:
- E-mail reception@imberhorne.co.uk stating your child’s name, tutor/year group, reason for appointment, time of leaving and, if applicable, approximate time of return
- If it is not possible to email, please telephone reception on 01342 323562 (option 0)
- Please do not email Heads of Year or Pastoral Teams as this may delay messages getting to the relevant staff
- Students should always exit via main reception and ensure they sign out
Leave of Absence Requests
We ask all families to support their child's education by ensuring that holidays and other non-essential absences are not taken during term time wherever possible.
Under current government legislation, leave of absence during term time may only be authorised in exceptional circumstances. Any request must be submitted in advance by a parent or carer with whom the child normally resides.
There is no automatic entitlement for children to be absent from school for family holidays during term time. The Headteacher is responsible for determining whether the circumstances presented meet the threshold for authorisation.
All requests for leave of absence must be made using the Leave of Absence Request Form below and submitted to the school in advance of the proposed absence and before making any travel arrangements.
Schools are required to share information regarding unauthorised absences with the West Sussex Education Welfare Service. In line with national regulations, parents or carers may be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice where appropriate.
Further information regarding Fixed Penalty Notices can be found using the link below.