At Ipswich Academy we are aiming for all of our young people to have good attendance and punctuality. This is 95% attendance or above. But what does this mean?

• 95% attendance means that your child has missed two weeks of school in that school year. 
• 90% attendance means that your child has missed four weeks of school/half a day every week.
• 80% attendance means that your child has missed eight weeks of school.
• Attendance of below 90% over five years is equivalent to your child missing half a year of school.
• Attendance below 80% over five years means that your child misses a whole year of school.

You can find your child’s attendance on the My Child at School (MCAS) app. 

• Research suggests that 17 missed school days a year equals a drop in GCSE grade (Department for children, schools and families).
• Pupils who are frequently absent from school are more likely to become involved or be a victim of crime and anti-social behaviour.
• Poor attendance suggests to future employers that the individual is unreliable. 
• Missing 10% (about 18 days) can make it harder to learn to read One of the most effective ways for providing pathways out of poverty is by doing what it takes to get children into school every day