Attendance
Good attendance is key to success at Bexleyheath Academy; our heads of years work closely with parents and carers in line with our attendance policy to support good attendance and punctuality for all students. We use an automated system that will send parents/carers a text message if your child is absent when they shouldn't be.
What should I do if my child is absent from the Academy?
Phone the student absences line on 020 8298 2879
or
Send an e-mail to studentabsence@bexleyheathacademy.org
Attendance Success
Bexleyheath Academy had the highest attendance percentage out of all of the London AET schools during the academic year 2022 - 2023. We are incredible proud of our Bexleyheath Academy community members for ensuring students are attending the academy daily.
Students that attend the academy daily are recognised for their efforts and rewarded with:
A termly badge for each term of 100% attendance
Shout outs during assemblies through the term
Trips and experiences termly
Research by the Department for Education demonstrates that attendance plays a vital role in a student’s progress. At Bexleyheath Academy individual attendance levels are monitored throughout the academic year, and regularly communicated to students, parents and staff. We provide this information in order to support families to improve attendance rates, and to illustrate how attendance can impact the future of our students.
Attendance Concerns
A significant proportion of our students have an attendance rate of around 90%. Many believe this to be acceptable, but what does it really mean for our students?
What does an attendance rate of 90% look like?
A student with a 90% attendance record is absent from lessons for the equivalent of one half-day every week.
A student with a 90% attendance rate misses the equivalent of four whole weeks of lessons in one school year.
A student with 90% attendance throughout KS3 and KS4 (5 years) misses the equivalent of about one half of a school year.
Attendance and Achievement
Research proves that there is a direct link between a student’s attendance levels and their academic achievement. A study by The Department for Education shows that attendance is likely to affect GCSE outcomes in the following way:
78.7% of students who do not miss any weeks of school in Key Stage 4 are likely to achieve 5+ A*-Cs (9-4) including English and Mathematics
However, the percentage drops to 52% if they miss between 4-5 weeks
An improvement in attendance by 1%, just two days in an academic year, could result in a 5- 6% improvement in attainment.
Emotional Impact
If children do not attend school regularly they may:
Suffer anxiety upon return to lessons due to missed learning
Struggle to keep up with school work
Affect children’s ability to make and keep friendships; a vital part of growing up.
Is my child too ill for school?
This NHS guide includes a link to UK Government Guidelines to support parents and carers