Regular school attendance is essential if students are to make the most of the educational opportunities available to them.  Irregular attendance seriously disrupts continuity of learning, undermines progress, and leads to underachievement and low attainment. 

 The register is a safeguarding document and by law, Attendance Registers must be taken twice a day.  Form Tutors at Birkdale High School take the register electronically on Arbor at the start of registration at 8.50 am. The lesson 1 registration mark also constitutes the morning session and lesson 4 registration mark constitutes the afternoon session and it is therefore of paramount importance that this is taken at the beginning of the lesson.  All lesson attendance thereafter is recorded on Arbor using “lesson monitor”.  

The morning register closes at 9.20am, after which time it is considered that a student is not eligible for a mark unless a valid reason is provided e.g. a medical appointment.  If a student is missing for the morning or afternoon session without justifiable reason, then parents will be contacted.  This information is taken directly from the register and as such registers must provide an accurate record so that these safeguarding procedures can be followed appropriately.  Attendance data can be viewed directly on Arbor.