At Waterside, we believe that all students are only able to achieve their potential if they attend school punctually and avoid missing lessons. Our expectation is for students to achieve at least 96% attendance and punctuality. Unless your child has a temperature of above 38 degrees they should go to school. 

If you child has 10 sessions (usually equivalent to 5 school days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10 school week period a penalty notice must be considered, however we would like to work with our families to ensure that the fixed penalty notice threshold isn't met. Should you need to contact the school regarding your child's attendance, please call 0151 257 5985 or email our attendance officer farrellj@watersideacademy.co.uk

What constitutes good attendance?

Attendance percentages are not like exam results: an attendance percentage needs to be above 96% before it is considered good.

Attendance figures below 90% are a cause for concern:

There are 190 school days per year and 175 other days for holidays, birthday treats and non-urgent appointments.           

How does attendance affect outcomes for pupils?  

Being in school is important to your child’s achievement, wellbeing, and wider development. Evidence suggests that the students with the highest attendance throughout their time in school gain the best GCSE and A Level results. 

By attending school on a regular basis, your child is more likely to keep up in lessons. Students who attend regularly are more likely to pass exams than students who don’t attend school on a regular basis. Attendance is central to every school as it is fundamental to a child’s social, academic and emotional development. We want all our pupils to have the opportunity to reach their full academic potential and achieve in line with their capabilities. This is the entitlement of every child, and it is the role of both schools and parents to ensure we give them every opportunity to learn. By being present at school your child is learning how to be a good citizen by participating in the school community, learning valuable social skills.

Excellent school attendance is also key as it plays a key part in safeguarding policies and protocols. Attendance is a great life skill for pupils to learn as it will be a requirement throughout their adult life.