At The Wellington Academy, we believe that every day in school counts. Regular attendance is vital, not just for academic achievement, but for building strong habits, friendships, and a sense of belonging.

Why does attendance mattes?

• Missing just 3.5 days per half term adds up to 1.5 years of lost education.
• Missing 17 days in a year can mean dropping a full grade at GCSE.
• Truants are 3 times more likely to offend and 6 times more likely to be unemployed.
• Achieving 5 or more GCSEs can increase wages by 42%. 90% of persistent truants do not achieve five 9-4 grades.
• Every school day really does count—please don’t let your child miss out on the education they deserve.

Every school day really does count — please don’t let your child miss out on the education they deserve.

We ask for your support in the following ways:

• Notify us by phone before 8:40am if your child is absent, with the reason and expected return date.
• Contact us each day your child is absent.
• Only keep your child home for genuine illness.
• Ensure your child arrives and is ready to start school by 8:30am.
• Avoid non-urgent medical appointments during the school day.
• Remind your child to sign in/out for any authorised appointments they need to attend.
• Reach out to us with any concerns, we’re here to help.
• Praise good attendance and punctuality.

We receive many requests for students to be removed from school during the term, and whilst we understand that parents/carers may feel they have very valid reasons for this, we as a school will operate in line with county and national guidelines.

This means that, unless there are truly exceptional reasons, requests for leave during the school term will not be approved.

To request leave, please complete the Wellington Academy Leave of Absence Form in advance of the planned absence. You can access the form here:  Leave of Absence Form

 

If a student is absent without authorisation, this will be recorded as an unauthorised absence. Unauthorised absences can lead to a Penalty Notice (fines) being issued to parents or carers.

For more information about Penalty Notices and the consequences of unauthorised absence, please read the Wiltshire Council documents below. Copies are available at reception and on our website.

If you have any questions or require further information regarding this please contact Beverley Eccles, our Senior Welfare and Attendance Officer.