Attendance

Attendance is one of the most important elements in what makes a successful pupil. We will actively celebrate your excellent attendance with termly prizes and annual certificates. You should be proud of your achievements and understand the significance attendance has on your future prospects and life after Whickham School. The illustration below shows the correlation between good attendance and GCSE results:

Chances of Success at GCSE

Attendance Matters

We expect you all to attend at least 98% of the time. This equates to no more than 4 days of absence across an academic year. We will carry out the following actions to ensure your attendance is good:

Punctuality

Early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable. Punctuality is an essential life skill which transfers into adulthood. We expect you to be in school on time, every day.

The first bell rings at 08:30 allowing 5 minute movement time before you should be at your classrooms and ready to take your seats at 08:35. It is expected that all pupils are inside the school gates before 08:30. Arriving late results in lost learning.

Arriving late to school will result in a same day break time detention which will be upscaled to 1 hour after school the following day if not attended. When a pupil is late to 3 lessons in a week or lateness totals 15 minutes or more, a BIS Twilight detention will be issued for the following week.
Make sure you get a good night’s sleep and take responsibility for setting your own alarm.
If punctuality continues to be a problem, we will contact home to make an appointment to discuss your timekeeping with your Parents / Carers.

Home Visits

Home visits are part of our continued support of you and your family. They can be made to check on your wellbeing for one of the following reasons:

No contact for your absence
School refusal
Poor attendance
Long term illness support
Safeguarding concerns