At Loreto Balbriggan, we place a strong emphasis on good attendance because it plays a vital role in every student’s learning and overall success in school. We encourage each student to take responsibility for her learning, helping her to reach her full potential.

As part of our school’s Statement of Strategy, we work to highlight  how important regular attendance is and communicate our high expectations clearly and consistently. These expectations are shared by the the whole school community and are an important part of our school’s positive ethos and culture. Together, we aim for excellent attendance and strive to support every student in achieving as close to 100% attendance as possible.

Below are a range of helpful supports and information sources for parents and guardians. These resources have been selected to assist families in promoting good attendance, supporting student wellbeing, and addressing challenges that may affect a young person’s ability to attend school regularly. We hope you find them useful in guiding and supporting your child’s educational journey.

ISPCC: How to deal with School Refusal and School Avoidance

 How to get your child’s bedtime routine back on track

Tusla: Families Expriencing Homelessness

Teenage wellbeing for Parents

NEPS: Supporting your child

NEWB: Don’t Let your Child miss out

Gov.ie: National Attendance Campaign

CYPSC: Fingal School Avoidance Pack

Our Goals

We aim to work together with parents/guardians to support strong attendance and punctuality. Our main goals are to:

• Promote a positive and consistent approach to attendance.
• Keep accurate records of student attendance during the school day.
• Encourage students to take responsibility for being on time and present.
• Help parents understand their important role in supporting attendance.
• Reduce absences and identify any concerns early.
• Encourage full participation in class.
• Acknowledge and reward excellent attendance.

How We Promote Positive Attendance

At Loreto Balbriggan, regular attendance is an important part of helping each student achieve her best. We promote this by:

• Sharing the importance of attendance during assemblies, announcements, and daily interactions.
• Monitoring attendance closely through Form Teachers and year teams.
• Recognising students with excellent attendance throughout the year.
• Celebrating strong attendance at our end-of-year awards ceremonies.
• Providing parents with easy access to attendance information through Compass.
• Using posters and digital screens to reinforce positive attendance messages.
• Publishing the school calendar early to support family planning.
• Giving students an attendance briefing at the start of each school year.