Attendance, though very often spoken about, is still a one reason why some students struggle in school. In this blog we will discuss what Cardiff and Vale Tutors and parents can do to help improve school attendance.
Missing out a lesson or two due to an appointment which can only be arranged during school hours occasionally can’t be avoided, however, making a habit of taking your child out from school for various appointments or holidays can be detrimental to their learning. They could, for example, miss an important introduction to a topic which can impact their future understanding of advanced aspects of that topic. This is particularly true for younger students as they are less likely to catch up on the missed work. There can also be social implications from missing school as friendship circles can change quickly in schools. Meaning that a week or two away during term-time could make it hard for your child to re-integrate into their school social lives.
There are times, however, when your child may be too ill or there may be some other extenuating circumstances which cannot be helped. In those cases, the wellbeing of your child should come first and other teaching arrangements could be put in place.
Recent statistics show that in between the weeks of 28th February to 4th of March 2022, the lowest attendance was for pupils in Year 11 at 87.9% and the highest percentage was attendance for pupils in Years 3 and 4 at 93.8%. This data suggests that perhaps younger students are finding it easier to attend school perhaps due to a lack of examination and assessment pressures. Whereas the older Year 11 students – in their final year of GCSE’s – may be struggling due to the pressure of performing well in exams and assessments. In which case missing school will potentially only worsen anxieties and increase stress.
How can Cardiff and Vale Tutors help?
More often than not teachers are happy to explain a topic that a student has missed, however, due to limited time and having so many students they aren’t always able to do so. Our tutors, on the other hand, are focused entirely on their students needs – meaning that they can take the time to fully explain topics and revise basics if needed. Our tutors can also help students that are learning remotely by assisting them in the work set by school teachers. And, for those doing GCSE’s and A Levels, our tutors can provide extra support, help students feel confident and minimise the stress meaning students can attend school and engage more in class.
Few last tips…
It’s best to plan appointments and holidays outside of term-time, and to regularly check in with your child so that any small issues that may arise can be spotted before they become something that will keep your child from attending school. If you child has missed school it’s a great idea to reach out to teachers for catch-up work or contact us to arrange some tutoring to help your child catch-up with lessons that have been missed.
Our Recent blog written by Aleksandra Dul, our English GCSE and A level Tutor.
Photo by Julia M Cameron
* Statistics, Attendance of pupils in maintained schools: 6 September 2021 to 4 March 2022, Welsh Government. URL: https://gov.wales/attendance-pupils-maintained-schools-6-september-2021-4-march-2022
We are living in unprecedented times. Now is the time to seek alternative solutions to ensure life continues as normally as possible. With this in mind, we are proud to continue to offer our online learning environment; remote tution delivered by professional tutors to individuals and groups, at an affordable price.
Please feel free to arrange this with your existing tutor or note this on our Find a Tutor form. Please feel free to give us a call on 07817 322 741 to discuss further.
We are not qualified to offer advice on Covid-19 Coronavirus safety issues. We are relying on Welsh & UK Government advice.
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