Attendance Matters

Why does Attendance Matter?

As Principal, I am delighted with the continued improvement we are seeing in attendance. Overall, college attendance increased by a further 0.5% during 2025/26, bringing our total improvement over the last two academic years to an impressive 2%. This is a fantastic achievement and demonstrates the positive impact of the collective efforts of our students, families, and staff.

We give a clear message regarding attendance: ‘Every student. Every lesson. Every day.’

By attending every lesson, every day, students demonstrate our college values of Motivation, Commitment and Care.

Motivation – We want students to enjoy coming to college, to enjoy being with their friends and their teachers in lessons and to enjoy playing an active role in our learning community.

Commitment – We want students to have a first-class education which depends upon them working hard, alongside their teachers, in every lesson. Being committed to attending every day and arriving on time are essential habits for success in life beyond Minsthorpe Community College.

Care – We want our students to feel cared for. Having great attendance supports students’ wellbeing, contributes to building supportive relationships and strengthens their feeling of belonging. We reward and recognise good attendance at every opportunity.

We are incredibly proud that 57 students achieved an outstanding 100% attendance for the full academic year, they were rewarded with a letter to parents/carers, a certificate, attendance badge, and a £10 voucher.

In addition, a fantastic 401 students achieved attendance in line with or above our college target of 96% which was celebrated and rewarded with a certificate and an attendance badge.

These achievements reflect the collective commitment of our students, parents/carers and staff to our message of ‘Every student. Every lesson. Every day.’ We would like to extend a sincere thank you to our families for their continued support and for working in partnership with us to promote good attendance. Your support makes a real difference. We are extremely proud of the progress being made and look forward to building on this success throughout the 2026/27 academic year.

 

 

What does good attendance look like?

Minsthorpe Community College’s attendance target is 96%. The bar chart below shows attendance percentages as ‘days off’ each year. Students need to aim to be off school for no more than 8 days per year to achieve 96%.

We ask that parents and carers play their part by encouraging great attendance and by getting in touch with the Attendance Team if their child is struggling to attend.

If you or your child requires support in terms of attendance, please contact the College via enquiries@minsthorpe.cc

 

Key Staff with Responsibility for Attendance

• Assistant Principal (Behaviour and Attendance): Mr R Yates

• Head of Attendance: Mrs E Chamberlain

• Education Welfare Officer: Mrs G Newton

• Attendance Officer: Mrs G Ryder

• Attendance Officer: Miss E Hunt

• Post 16 Pastoral Leads: Mrs A Fish and Mr S Hughes

• Attendance of Disadvantaged Students: Mr T Dowey

• Attendance of students with SEND: Mr M Orr

 

Useful Resources for parents/carers to support Strong Attendance

• Attendance Matters Leaflet for Parents/Carers
• Leave of Absence in Term Time Form
• Minsthorpe Community College Good Attendance Policy
• Department for Education Guidance for Parents on School Attendance
• Minsthorpe Primary Partnership - Term Time Holidays Information for Families
• National Framework for Penalty Notices for school absence