Attendance Policy


 

 

Mission Statement

Holme Valley Primary School aims to maximise attendance rates in order to ensure that all students are able to take the fullest advantage of the learning experiences available to them.

 

Statutory Framework

Under Section 444 of the 1996 Education Act, a pupil is required to attend regularly at the school where they are a registered pupil. The school is obliged by law to differentiate between authorised and unauthorised absence. A letter or telephone message from a parent does not in itself authorise an absence. Only if the school is satisfied as to the validity of the explanation offered by the letter/message will the absence be authorised (see below).

 

Rights and Responsibilities

Improving attendance at Holme Valley Primary School is the responsibility of everyone in the school community - pupils, parents and staff.

Pupils

All pupils are expected to attend school and all of their lessons regularly and punctually. Pupils who do experience attendance difficulties will be offered prompt and sympathetic support, initially from their teacher. At the end of each term, pupils whose attendance is either very good or improved will be presented with awards.

Parents

Parents are responsible for ensuring that their child attends schools regularly, punctually, properly dressed and equipped and in a fit condition to learn. If a child is prevented for any reason from attending, or is late, parents are requested to notify the school on the first day of absence - by phone call or in writing. A pupil's absence from school must be considered as unauthorised until a satisfactory explanation is forthcoming from the parent. Parents will be informed promptly of any concerns which may arise over a child's attendance. Parents should avoid, if at all possible, making medical/dental appointments for their child during school hours. Parents whose first language is not English or who have literacy problems will be offered appropriate support from the school in matters of communication.

School

Staff will endeavour to encourage good attendance and punctuality through example. Attendance is the responsibility of all school staff (not just teaching and pastoral staff). The school will employ a range of strategies (see below) to encourage good attendance and punctuality and will investigate promptly all absenteeism, liaising closely with parents. Staff will respond to all absenteeism firmly and consistently. It is the responsibility of the school to monitor and inform the Education Welfare Service of attendance related problems.

 

Registration

Registers will be called promptly at 8.50am and at 1.05pm and will be marked in red and black in accordance with the list of symbols as set out in the register following the LEA recommendations (see appendix 1)

Registers will close at 9.00am and 1.15pm. If a pupil fails to arrive before the registers close, they will be marked as ‘absent'. Pupils who arrive after the registers have closed should report to the school office (the administrative officer will amend the register entry to read ‘absent/late'). If a pupil is persistently late the head will contact the Education Welfare Officer. Parents are reminded that if a child arrives in school after the registers have closed and an acceptable explanation is not forthcoming, the pupil has to be recorded as ‘unauthorised absent' for that session.

All class teachers will take registers in each of their classes and registers are then checked by the administrative officer. Any unexplained absenteeism is followed up by a telephone call. The head will inspect all registers each term in order to ensure that correct procedures are being followed, totals are being calculated and entered.

 

Authorised/Unauthorised Absence

It is vital that all staff adhere to the same criteria when marking the registers.

An oblique stroke is used to record presence with a stroke in the reverse direction for the afternoon session.

Holme Valley Primary School records absences in accordance with the latest guidance from the DfEE and LEA policy.

Authorised absence is shown by ‘O 'in red with a supplementary symbol (letter) inside the ‘O' to record the reason for absence and unauthorised absence by ‘O' with no additional letter.

 

Absence can be authorised if:

  • The pupil was absent with leave (defined as ‘leave granted by any person authorised to do so by the Governing Body or Proprietor of the School')
  • The pupil was ill ‘or prevented from attending by any unavoidable cause'
  • ‘the absence occurred on a day exclusively set aside for religious observance by the religious body to which the pupil's parent belongs'
  • The school at which the child is registered is not within distance of the child's home and no suitable home arrangements have been made by the LEA for any of the following:
    1. The child's transport to and from school
    2. boarding accommodation for the child at or near the school
    3. enabling the child to become a registered pupil at a school nearer to his/her home
  • The pupil is the child of Traveller parents and the conditions as stated in the Education Act 1996 Section 444 (6) are met.
  • There is a family bereavement of a near relative
  • The pupil is attending a Pupil Referral Unit
  • The pupil is involved in an exceptional special occasion (eg if a pupil is attending the graduation of an older sibling)

Leave of absence will only be awarded if the following criteria are met:

    1. Attendance is 95% or above
    2. exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated, eg letter from employer
    3. 10 days notice has been given to school
    4. leave is to be taken on one annual block of a maximum of 10 days
    5. parents will demonstrate how work is going to be made up (teachers will not provide work sheets)
    6. leave is not to be taken in test time

Note: The absence of pupils taking part in supervised educational activities outside the school is recorded as ‘approved educational activity'. This is equivalent to ‘present' for performance table purposes. To avoid confusion in an emergency, schools should not record pupils who are off-site as present. The following activities when the approved educational activity category can be used:

  • field trips and educational visits, in this country and overseas
  • participation in or attendance at approved sporting activities
  • franchised pupils receiving part of their tuition off-site at another location while remaining under overall supervision of the home school (ie a flexible arrangement short of formal dual registration). This can include special tuition for dyslexic children and sick children being taught at home but remaining on roll.

 

Absence will be unauthorised if:

  • no explanation is forthcoming
  • the school is dissatisfied with the explanation
  • the pupil stays at home to mind the house or to look after siblings (the guidance suggests that absence in such cases should only be granted in exceptional circumstances)
  • the pupil is shopping during school hours
  • the pupil is absent for unexceptional occasions (eg a birthday)
  • The pupil is on a family holiday without permission or if the parents have failed to apply for permission in advance of the holiday and instead seek retrospective approval on their return.

 

Strategies for Promoting Attendance

Holme Valley Primary School will offer an environment in which pupils feel valued and welcomed. The schools ethos must demonstrate that pupils feel that their presence in school is important, that they will be missed when they are absent/late and that follow up action will be taken. Early intervention often prevents more frequent absences.

  • A varied and flexible curriculum will be offered to all pupils. Every effort will be made to ensure that learning tasks are matched to pupils' needs.
  • Attendance data will be regularly collected and analysed in order to help identify patterns, set targets, correlate attendance with achievement, and support and inform policy/practice.
  • Good attendance will be praised appropriately
  • Parents will be reminded regularly (via newsletters, the school brochure, parents evenings, etc) of the importance of good attendance.
  • Pupils who have been absent for whatever reason for an extended period of time will (when appropriate) have work sent home to them and will be reintegrated back into school upon their return.
  • Pupils who have been absent for whatever reason for an extended period of time will (when appropriate) have individually tailored programmes prepared for them.
  • The Headteacher will make an annual report to the school's governing body on attendance matters.
  • The Headteacher will have regular meetings with the school's Education Welfare Officer in order to identify and support those pupils who are experiencing attendance difficulties.
  • The SIMS (computer) package is used to analyse data and statistics.

Attendance Statistics

All schools are required by North Lincolnshire Education Authority to submit attendance figures to the Education Welfare Officer no later than 10 days after the start of the new term. Statistics on attendance are complied for all schools in the North Lincolnshire area for each term and a copy is returned to the School. The statistics are presented to the Special Needs Sub Committee.

 

Penalty Notices

Please see appendix 2

Pentalty Notice