1Start9:00 a.m. 2Start8.50 a.m.
The Silver Birch Academy
Attendance and Punctuality Policy
Adopted by: Whittingham LGB
Date: February 2017
Review Date: February 2018
Introduction and background
Whittingham Primary Academy recognises that punctuality and good attendance are central
to raising standards and pupil attainment, and to ensure they can benefit fully from all that
the school has to offer. This policy is written with the above statement in mind and this policy
underpins our school ethos to:
• promote children’s welfare and safeguarding
• ensure every pupil has access to the full time education to which they are entitled
• ensure that pupils succeed whilst at school
• ensure that pupils have access to the widest possible range of opportunities when they leave
school
For our children to gain the greatest benefit from their education it is vital that they attend
regularly and be at school, on time, every day the school is open unless the reason for the absence
is unavoidable.
Any absence affects the pattern of a child’s schooling and regular absence will seriously affect
their learning. Any pupil’s absence or later arrival disrupts teaching routines and so may affect
the learning of others in the same class. Ensuring a child’s regular attendance at school is a
parental responsibility and permitting absence from school without a good reason creates an
offence in law and may result in prosecution.
We aim to ensure that all pupils achieve maximum possible attendance and that any barriers to
this are identified and acted upon as soon as possible. The school aims at 100% attendance for
pupils and promotes good punctuality now and for the future.
Parent and carers should be aware that if they fail to ensure that their children attend school
regularly and punctually they may be prosecuted under section 444 Education Act 1996 by the
Local Authority.
Roles and Responsibilities in Promoting Regular Attendance
Helping to create a pattern of regular attendance is everybody’s responsibility - parents, pupils
and all members of school staff.
To support good attendance and punctuality the school will:
• Maintain appropriate registration processes
• Maintain appropriate attendance data
• Communicate clearly the attendance procedures and expectations to all staff, governors,
parents and pupils
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• Have consistent and systematic daily records which give detail of any absence and lateness
• Follow up absences and persistent lateness if parents/carers have not communicated with
the school.
• Inform parents/carers what constitutes authorised and unauthorised absence
• Strongly discourage unnecessary absence through holidays taken during term time
• Work with parents to improve individual pupils attendance and punctuality
• Refer to the Educational Welfare Service any child whose attendance causes concern and
where parents/carers have not responded to school initiatives to improve
• Report attendance statistics to the LA and the DfE where requested.
• Make staff should be aware that they must raise any attendance or punctuality concerns
to the Headship Team with responsibility for monitoring attendance.
• Give parents/carers details on attendance in our newsletters
• Report to parents/carers annually on how their child’s attendance with the annual school
report
• Contact parents/carers should their child’s attendance fall below the school’s target for
attendance
• Celebrate good attendance by displaying individual and class achievements
• Reward good or improving attendance through class competitions, certificates and outings/events
Parents/Carers are responsible for:
• Ensuring that their child attends school regularly and punctually unless prevented from
doing so by illness or attendance at a medical appointment.
• Contacting the school office on the first morning of absence.
• Informing the school in advance of any medical appointments in school time. For the absence
to be recorded as a medical absence we do require evidence from the doctor or dentist.
(Appointment card/letter)
• Making requests for authorised absence in term time, only if absolutely necessary as these
are not automatically authorised.
• Talking to the school as soon as possible about any child’s reluctance to come to school so
that problems can be quickly identified and dealt with.
Understanding types of absence
Every half-day absence from school has to be classified by the school (not by the parents), as
either AUTHORISED or UNAUTHORISED. This is why information about the cause of any absence
is always required.
The school does not have to accept the parent/carers offered explanation as a valid cause for
absence. There are certain circumstances outlined in the DfE guidelines that the school categorises
as authorised absence. The guidelines are based on the needs of the community and the kinds of
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reasons parent/carers may wish their children to take leave of absence.
The school follows the guidelines for authorising absence as listed below
• Illness, emergency medical, dental and hospital appointments. It is expected that routine
check- ups, including hospital review appointments should, as far as possible, be made during
holiday periods or after school hours.
• Family bereavements
• Attending a religious observance
• Off-site activities (These fall into two categories; educational visits or individual activities
e.g. an examination)
• Exclusion (Excluded pupils are treated as authorised absence. They will remain on the
school’s register unless permanently excluded when the situation has to be reviewed)
Unauthorised absences are those which the school does not consider reasonable and for which
no “leave” has been given. This type of absence can lead to the Authority using sanctions and/or
legal proceedings. This includes:
• Parents/carers keeping children off school unnecessarily
• truancy before or during the school day
• absences which have never been properly explained
• children who arrive at school too late to get a mark
• shopping, looking after other children or birthdays
• day trips and holidays in term time which have not been agreed.
Whilst any child may be off school because they are ill, sometimes they can be reluctant to
attend school. Any problems with regular attendance are best sorted out between the school,
the parents and the child. If a parent thinks their child is reluctant to attend school then we will
work with that family to understand the root problem. In addition, we have commissioned an
external Education Welfare Officer (EWO) to support the school and families in maintaining high
attendance levels.
Persistent Absenteeism (PA)
A pupil becomes a ‘persistent absentee’ when they miss 5% or more schooling across the school
year for whatever reason. Absence at this level is doing considerable damage to any child’s
education and we need parent’s fullest support and co-operation to tackle this. We monitor all
absence and the reasons given thoroughly. Any case that is seen to have reached the PA mark
or is at risk of moving towards that mark is given priority and we will inform the parents/carers
immediately.
PA pupils are tracked and monitored carefully, we also combine this with academic tracking
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where absence affects attainment.
All our PA pupils and their parents are subject to an Action Plan and the plan may include:
• allocation of additional support through the School Nurse, Parent Support Adviser or
• Education Welfare Officer. We may also use circle time, individual incentive programmes,
• individual targets and participation in group activities around raising attendance.
Absence Procedures
If your child is absent the parent/carer must follow the following procedures:
• Contact us as soon as possible on the first day of absence before 9.20am.
• The school has an answer phone available to leave a message if nobody is available to take
the call
• Or call into school and report to reception.
If your child is absent we will:
• Telephone you on the first day of absence if we have not heard from you
• Invite you in to discuss the situation with our Attendance Officer, Deputy Headteacher
and/or Headteacher if absences persist
• Refer the matter to our Education Welfare Officer if attendance moves below 90%.
The EducationWelfare Officer
Parents are expected to contact school at an early stage and to work with the staff in resolving
any problems together. This is nearly always successful. If difficulties cannot be sorted out
in this way, the school may refer the child to our Education Welfare Officer. He/she will also
try to resolve the situation by agreement but, if other ways of trying to improve the child’s
attendance have failed and unauthorized absences persist, the Officer can use sanctions such
as Fixed Penalty Notices or prosecutions in the Magistrates Court. Full details of the options
open to enforce attendance at school are available from the school or the Local Authority.
Alternatively, parents or children may wish to contact the EWO themselves to ask for help or
information. He/she is independent of the school and will give impartial advice. The telephone
number for the EWO is available from the school office.
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Lateness
Poor punctuality is not acceptable. If a child misses the start of the day they can miss work and
do not spend time with their class teacher getting vital information and news for the day. Late
arriving pupils also disrupt lessons, can be embarrassing for the child and can also encourage
absence. Good time keeping is a vital life skill which will help our children as they progress
through their school life and out into the wider world.
Persistent late collections are monitored and the school attempts to support parents/carers with
this by helping to develop strategies to improve their punctuality in collecting their children.
Howwemanage lateness:
The school day starts at the following times for each phase:
Nursery a.m.: 8:45 a.m.
Nursery p.m.: 12:30 p.m.
Reception:
KS1:
KS2:
We expect our children to be in the playground before this time ready to line up when the bell is
rung.
Registers are marked electronically in class and your child will receive a late mark if they are not
in class by .
At 9.20 a.m. the registers will be closed. In accordance with the Regulations, if your child arrives
after that time they will receive a mark that shows them to be on site, but this will not count as
a present mark and it will mean they have an unauthorised absence. This may mean that you
could face the possibility of a Penalty Notice if the problem persists.
If your child has a persistent late record you will be asked to meet with the Deputy Headteacher
and/or Headteacher to resolve the problem, but you can approach us at any time if you are
having problems getting your child to school on time.
We will encourage good punctuality by being good role models to our children and celebrate
good class punctuality.
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Holidays in Term Time:
There is no automatic entitlement in law to time off in school time to go on holiday.
All applications for leave must be made in advance and, at the discretion of the school.
In making a decision the school will consider the exceptional circumstances of each application
individually, including any previous pattern of leave in term time.
We strongly recommend that parents gain consent for any holiday in term time before booking
your holiday; otherwise this may result in a fixed penalty notice being administered.
We will not agree leave during term time under the following circumstances:
• When a pupil is just starting the school. This is very important as your child needs to settle
into their new environment as quickly as possible.
• For year 6 pupils.
• When a pupil’s attendance record already includes any level of unauthorised absence.
• Where a pupil’s attendance rate is already below the school’s target of 97% for any individual
or will fall to or below that level as a result of taking holiday leave.
Any period of leave taken without the agreement of the school, or in excess of that agreed, will
be classed as unauthorised and may attract sanctions such as a Fixed Penalty Notice.
The minimum level of attendance for any child at Whittingham Primary Academy is 97% attendance.
We will keep parents updated regularly on their child’s progress.
Our target is to achieve better than this however, because we know that good attendance is the
key to successful schooling.
Throughout the school year we monitor absences and punctuality to show us where improvements
need to be made.
Monitoring and Review
The school has a legal duty to publish its absence figures to parents and to promote attendance.
This policy will be made available to parents and published on our school website.
The policy will be reviewed at least every two years and updated as appropriate unless a statutory
requirement or issues identified in the practical application of the policy occur prior to the scheduled
review of the policy.
Attendance statistics will be reported to the local governing body
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