PROSPECTUS

Attendance

“Regular school attendance is crucial in raising standards in education and ensuring that every child can have full access to the school curriculum and reach their potential.” Department of Education 2015

At Ballyclare Secondary School we believe that good attendance is central to the learning process.  For a child to succeed in the school environment it is essential that a high level of attendance is maintained.  It has been proved that there is a strong correlation between success and attendance and at Ballyclare Secondary School we want every pupil to have a success story when it comes to attendance and achievement.

Pupil attendance is recorded formally in the morning and in the afternoon; this is known as their AM and PM registration. A pupil’s Class Teacher will register them in the morning and then one of their Subject Teachers who takes them in the afternoon will mark their PM registration.

Attendance is monitored by the members of the School Office along with various key members within the Pastoral Team. As a school, we recognise the importance of a high attendance record and all our staff work closely with pupils and parents/carers to ensure that our pupils are reaching their full potential. The Department of Education are in support of pupils striving to maintain a 100% attendance record and are promoting their Miss School = Miss Out Initiative. Naturally there are times when we all get sick. We have the expectation that when pupils return to school they take the time to get caught up on any work missed. This is key so that they do not miss learning opportunities.

Our school cares deeply about rewarding positive attendance; it is for this reason that we run a number of attendance initiatives:

  • Class Trophy: Each month the class with the highest collective attendance within their year group is awarded with a personalised attendance trophy.
  • Pupil Certificates: Every term, pupils with 100% attendance receive a certificate in a special assembly.
  • Attendance Honours: Pupils who hold one year’s 100% attendance will be presented with a bronze attendance badge at the annual Reward’s Assembly. Pupils who hold three year’s 100% attendance will be presented with a silver badge and pupils who hold five full year’s 100% attendance will be presented with a gold badge. Additionally, pupils who achieve five or seven year’s 100% attendance will be recognised at our annual Presentation Evening.

Please take some time to read the materials below from the Department of Education, as well as our school’s policy on attendance.

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