Attendance and Punctuality

CAST believes that regular, punctual school attendance is essential if students are to make the most of the opportunities available to them. Absence from school is recognised as a safeguarding issue as it places children at risk and, in some cases, it can result in students being drawn into anti-social or criminal behaviour. Receiving a full-time education will give your child the best possible start in life. 

To advise of student absence, please contact us on 01223 724300, or email cast-attendance@CambridgeAST.org.uk

The Pastoral Team monitor the attendance and punctuality of all students. The majority of students have good attendance and punctuality. However, should your child’s school attendance and/or punctuality become a cause for concern (below 96%) we will contact you via a series of statutory letters. This is in line with guidance from the government and the Local Authority. 

You may also be required to attend a meeting to discuss your child’s attendance, even if this is due to illness. 

Parents and carers are legally required to ensure that their children regularly attend the school at which he/she is registered. Parents and carers who fail to do this may be liable to prosecution and a fine of up to £2500 and/or three months in prison. 

We strongly discourage parents and carers using term-time to book holidays and visits. Permission is only given for exceptional events. Individual requests should be submitted via a request to the above email, which is then forwarded to the Principal. 

Regular attendance of students is closely related to their levels of achievement. This makes the issue of regular attendance of great importance. Under education legislation, parents have a duty to ensure that their children attend school regularly and punctually. Failure to do so, without reasonable excuse, can result in referrals to the Local Authority with the prospect of fines or prosecution for those parents, should a child’s attendance not improve rapidly.

It is useful for you to know what attendance figures mean for your child. We encourage all parents and carers to use the Arbor app in order to monitor their child's attendance.

Our minimum expected target for all students is 96%.

All students whose attendance is below 90% are classified as Persistent Absentees and, depending upon personal circumstances, face possible referral to the Education Inclusion Team.

The image below provides more detailed information about attendance over the course of a full academic year.