26 09 25 - Year 10 Attendance Letter

Dear Parents and Carers

I am writing to you today to highlight a crucial aspect of your child's education, especially given that your child has started their two year examination courses this September: the direct and significant link between school attendance and academic achievement. A consistent presence in the classroom is one of the most important factors in a student's success, and we want to partner with you to ensure your child has every opportunity to thrive.  

The connection between attendance and grades is clear and well-documented. Each day a student is absent, they miss out on valuable learning experiences, including direct instruction from teachers, classroom discussions, and collaborative activities with their peers. This missed content often creates gaps in their understanding that can be difficult to fill later on. As a result, students with poor attendance are at a higher risk of falling behind, which can lead to lower grades and a diminished sense of confidence.

I have added 3 tables below that highlight the impact of poor attendance.  These tables are GCSE results from Outwood Grange Academy in the summer of 2025.

Table 1 - Outwood Grange Academy GCSE results for students with 100% - 95% attendance

Attendance | Average grade across 8 subjects | English and Maths at 5+_ | English and Maths at 4+_
100% - 95% | 5.51 | 70% | 87%

Table 2 - Outwood Grange Academy GCSE results for students with 94.99% - 90% attendance

Attendance | Average grade across 8 subjects | English and Maths at 5+_ | English and Maths at 4+_
94.99% - 90% | 4.51 | 44% | 74%

Table 3 - Outwood Grange Academy GCSE results for students with 80% - 89.99% attendance

Attendance | Average grade across 8 subjects | English and Maths at 5+_ | English and Maths at 4+_
80% - 89.99% | 3.7 | 26% | 65%

These tables paint a compelling picture of the importance of attending school.  Students with attendance of between 100% - 95% are almost three times more likely to get a 5+ grade in English and Maths than students with attendance between 80% - 89.99%. The average grade per subject is almost 2 grades higher respectively.

The national picture for the correlation between attendance and achievement is a similar picture. I have shared these figures with all Y10 students. Please discuss the importance of good attendance where appropriate with your child and insist on their strong attendance to ensure they can fulfil their potential.

Yours faithfully

Mr Toby Rutter

Principal