Attendance

School Attendance within the St John Ogilvie Learning Community

Parent & Carer Information 

Why is good school attendance so important?

•  All children have a right to an education and the legal responsibility to provide children with an education lies with their parents/carers.

•  When children are absent from school, whatever the cause, this disrupts their learning and can have a significant impact on their future life opportunities.

•  In particular, poor attendance can affect attainment levels, relationships with peers, wellbeing and emotional resilience.

What can I do to support my child’s school attendance?

• Promote good habits and routines at home to encourage good attendance.

• We understand the importance of good relationships and will work in partnership with you to support your child’s attendance at school.

•  If you are worried about your child’s attendance at school or the school have contacted you to raise awareness of attendance concerns, you should contact the school as soon as possible to discuss supports available.

• Early intervention is crucial, the earlier the issue is identified and positively addressed the better the longer-term outcome for the child.

Top Tips for Parents/Carers to Promote Good Attendance:

• Be on time for school, even missing 10 minutes every day adds up and can negatively impact learning.

• Always let the school know before 9.00am if your child won’t be in and what the reason for the absence is.

• Keep in regular contact with the school for the duration of the absence.

• Only keep your child at home for the minimum time possible reducing the number of days of lost learning.

• Avoid booking holidays during term time.

• Have positive conversations about school with your child to encourage positive mindsets.

• Be involved in school life and your child’s learning journey.

What happens if my child continues to be absent from school?

• We follow the St John Ogilvie Learning Community Attendance Policy and we will always aim to work in partnership with you to achieve positive outcomes for your child.

• We will keep you regularly updated via letters and other forms of contact regarding your child’s attendance percentage, as well as offering support or guidance whenever it is needed.

• If your child continues to have poor attendance, we are required to follow South Lanarkshire Council procedures to support engagement.

• If you fail to engage you will be invited to meet with the Senior Manager Pupil Support for Hamilton to review and to agree a plan of action to improve your child’s attendance.

• If there is no improvement a referral to the Children’s Reporter will be made by the school.