The staff and Governors of Oriel High School strongly believe that all students benefit from regular attendance. To achieve this, we do all we can to encourage parents/carers to ensure that their son/daughter achieves maximum possible attendance and that any problems which prevent full attendance are identified quickly and acted upon promptly. It is only by attending school regularly that students are able to achieve their full potential.
What constitutes good attendance?
We expect students to:
- arrive at school by 8:15am and be ready to register in the mentor room at 8:20am
- arrive on time to PM registration/mentor time
- move purposefully between lessons and arrive in class on time
- bring in a written explanation from their parent/carer to explain any absence
- catch up on any missed learning resulting from absence
Attendance figures below 90% are of real concern. It is up to the school whether to authorise an absence or not and we may ask you to provide appropriate medical evidence before we do so.
Consider the following examples:
- 90% is the equivalent to missing one day per fortnight, which equates to missing half a year of education during the course of Years 7-11
- 80% is the equivalent to missing one day per week, which equates to missing one full year of education during the course of Years 7-11
Good attendance contributes to:
- personal and social development
- continuity of learning – making retention and progress easier
- success in tests and examinations
- fulfilment of coursework requirements
- good references for further education or employment
- a reputation for reliability
Punctuality
The importance of punctuality will be reinforced by Learning Mentors and teachers
- students late to lessons will be challenged and, if necessary, appropriate sanctions applied
- lateness will be monitored and may be recorded as unauthorised absence
- lateness may provide the basis for prosecution by the Education Welfare Service
A copy of the school’s attendance policy can be found here
Reporting Student Absence
The quickest and easiest way for parents to notify the school that their child is absent is by using the parentmail app. This is the preferred method which we ask parents to notify us of student absence.
How do I download the App?
The App is available for Android 8 devices and above and Apple iOS 15 and above devices.
To download the App, simply visit the App store on your phone, and search “ParentMail” or click on the buttons below.
Please note, you must be registered to use the ParentMail App – you can register on a browser from the email or text registration invitation you have been sent.
In order to download the PMX App you will need iOS 7.0 or higher.
- iOS 7 is only available on 4s onwards. (4s, 5, 5s, 5c, 6 & 6+) not compatible with (3G, 3GS)
- iPad – second generation onwards. Including mini will work.
- iPod touch – fifth generation onwards will work.
- iPhone 4 can have iOS 7 however it will be incredibly slow.
Is my child too ill for school?
It can be difficult to know if your child is too ill for school. Please see advice from the NHS that may help you decide.