Attendance

At The Cotswold School, we are justifiably proud of our excellent standard of attendance which is consistently higher than the national average. Given the proven link between attendance and attainment, it is vital that pupils attend school regularly and are only absent due to genuine illness or exceptional circumstances such as bereavement. School provides not only an excellent academic curriculum but also a wealth of extra-curricular opportunities, trips and clubs. We have a clear expectation that our students should attend 100% of the time.

The school day starts at 8.45am with registration. It is important that all pupils are on time for tutor time as our tutors greet the pupils, ensure they are ready for their learning, give out important notices and take the morning register. Our tutors are the first point of contact for parents and pupils for any academic or social concerns.

We understand that sometimes absences from school are unavoidable, especially in the case of serious illness or injury, unavoidable changes in family circumstances or bereavement. In such cases, parents should contact the school on the first day of absence to explain the situation. Parents/carers should phone in on each day of an absence (unless the child is in a hospital) to 01451 820554 option 1(2 for Sixth Form). Absences can also be reported via Parentmail.

Any difficulties in attending school should be discussed as soon as possible. Discuss issues with our attendance officers, who are part of the Pastoral Team and can help signpost pupils to any necessary support that can be put in place to help them attend school regularly.

Request for Absence form

If you feel you must make a request for a pupil absence, click here for the form, which should be completed and sent to our attendance officer.

Persistent absence

The Government considers any pupil whose attendance falls below 90% a “Persistent Absentee”. This means they are at serious risk of failing to make the progress expected of them and could seriously limit their academic success. Any pupil whose attendance falls into this category will be assigned to a Head of Year Attendance Group with a view to achieving a rapid improvement.

The School cannot authorise any holidays during term time. Unauthorised absence for holidays may result in the issue of a fixed penalty notice. Any significant periods of unexplained or unauthorised absences will be referred to the Local Authority who may take legal action against parents who fail to ensure their children attend school regularly.

We are delighted when we can reward excellent attendance and have established the Gold Standard for pupils who achieve the attendance of 98% and above. At the end of each term, certificates are given to all Gold Standard Pupils and their names are entered into a draw for individual year group prizes. The best attending tutor group each month is featured on the attendance notice board at pupil reception and the winning tutor group in each year receives a prize at the end of each term. Excellent attendance is one of the criteria for being included on a Year Group rewards trip.