Put simply: taking a term-time absence will affect your child’s attainment – this conclusion is based on data over the past five school years. Research shows:
- the higher the percentage of sessions missed across Key Stage 2, the lower the likely level of attainment at the end of Year 6
- there is a gradual decrease in achievement as overall absence rates increase
- pupils with no absence are 1.6 times more likely to achieve level 4 or above, and 4.7 times more likely to achieve level 5 or above, than pupils that missed 15-20 per cent of all sessions
- pupils with the lowest five per cent of overall absence rates are 1.4 times more likely to achieve level 4 or above in reading and maths tests and 3.3 times more likely to achieve level 5 or above in reading and maths tests than pupils with the highest five per cent of overall absence rates
This research is based on national data. At Moortown, the picture is similar:
- children with high attendance (97% or more) make better progress – our own assessment data shows this
- children who have been absent for long periods tend to make slower progress in the classroom, and the social and emotional aspects of school life are adversely affected in many cases, too
Read the full story from the Department for Education here.