Attendance & Punctuality Policy

Introduction

Regular and punctual school attendance is important. Pupils need to attend school regularly

if they are to take full advantage of the educational opportunities available to them by law.

Brampton Primary Academy School fully recognises its responsibilities to ensure pupils are

in school and on time, therefore having access to learning for the maximum number of days

and hours.

Our policy applies to all children registered at this school and this policy is made available to

all parents/carers of pupils who are registered at our school on our school website. This

policy has been written to adhere to the relevant Children Acts, Education Acts, Regulations

and Guidance from the Department for Education in addition to guidance from the Local

Authority.

Although parents/carers have the legal responsibility for ensuring their child’s good

attendance, the Headteacher and Governors at our school work together with other

professionals and agencies to ensure that all pupils are encouraged and supported to

develop good attendance habits. Procedures in this policy are followed to ensure this

happens.

Children who are persistently late or absent soon fall behind with their learning, frequently

developing large gaps in their learning which will impact on their progress and their ability

to meet age related learning expectations. A child whose attendance drops to 90% each

year will be regarded as a ‘persistent absentee’. Over their time at primary school, they will

have missed two whole terms of learning.

Attendance

Description Approx. days lost per year

Approx. weeks lost per year

98-100% Excellent 0-4 Less than 1

96-98% Good 5-9 1-2

95-96% Satisfactory 10-13 2-3

90-95% Unsatisfactory 14-18 3-4

Below 90% Persistent Absence More than 19 Equivalent to 38

sessions

More than 4

Aims and Objectives This attendance policy ensures that all staff and governors in our school are fully aware of

and clear about the actions necessary to promote good attendance.

Through this Policy we aim to: Improve pupils’ achievement by ensuring high levels of attendance and punctuality. Achieve a minimum of 97% attendance for all children, apart from those with chronic

health issues that are supported by medical evidence. Create an ethos in which good attendance and punctuality are recognised as the norm

and seen to be valued by the school. Raise awareness of parents, carers and pupils of the importance of uninterrupted

attendance and punctuality at every stage of a child’s education. Ensure that our policy applies to Reception aged children in order to promote good

habits at an early age. Work in partnership with pupils, parents, staff and the Education Welfare Service so that

all pupils realise their potential, unhindered by unnecessary absence. Promote a positive and welcoming atmosphere in which pupils feel safe, secure, and

valued, and encourage in pupils a sense of their own responsibility. Establish a pattern of monitoring attendance and ensure consistency in recognising

achievement and dealing with difficulties. Recognise the key role of all staff, but especially class teachers, in promoting good

attendance.

We maintain and promote good attendance and punctuality through: Raising awareness of attendance and punctuality issues among all staff, parents and

pupils.

Ensuring that parents have an understanding of the responsibility placed on them for making sure their child attends regularly and punctually.

Equipping children with the life skills needed to take responsibility for good school attendance and punctuality appropriate to the child’s age and development.

Maintaining effective means of communication with parents, pupils, staff and governors on school attendance matters.

Developing and implementing procedures for identifying, reporting and reviewing cases of poor attendance and persistent lateness.

Supporting pupils who have been experiencing any difficulties at home or at school which are preventing good attendance.

Developing and implementing procedures to follow up non-attendance at school.

Legal framework The Education Act 1996 states that:

The parent/carer of every child of compulsory school age shall cause them to receive efficient full-time education suitable a) to their age, ability and aptitude, and b) to any special educational needs they may have, either by regular attendance at

school or otherwise.

A person begins to be of compulsory school age a) when they attain the age of five, if they attain that age on a prescribed day, and b) otherwise at the beginning of the prescribed day next following their attaining that

age.

A person ceases to be of compulsory school age at the end of the day which is the school leaving date for any calendar year a) if they attain the age of 16 after that day but before the beginning of the school year

next following, b) if they attain that age on that day, or c) (unless paragraph (a) applies) if that day is the school leaving date next following

their attaining that age. Brampton Primary Academy is dedicated to complying with attendance laws set out by the legal framework and has set out this attendance and punctuality policy accordingly. Definitions and Procedures for Reporting Absence It is the responsibility of the Headteacher to authorise any child’s absence from school.

Therefore, absences will be treated as unauthorised unless a satisfactory explanation is

given to the school. Parents/carers cannot authorise absences and should be aware that

either calling the school or providing a note for an absence does not automatically mean it

will be authorised. Staff will make it clear on the school register when recording

attendance whether a child’s absence is authorised or unauthorised.

When a child is absent from school without prior permission, parents/carers should inform

the school by telephone on the first day of absence and every day thereafter to give the

reason for absence.

Illness

Most cases of absence due to illness are short term, but parents/carers will need to make a

phone call to alert the school on each day of absence. When children have an illness that

means they will be away from school long term, the school will do all it can to send material

home, so that they can keep up with their school work.

If the absence is likely to continue for an extended period, or be a repetitive absence, the

school will contact the support services to see if arrangements can be made for the child to

be given some home tuition outside school.

Where over the course of an academic year, a child has repeated periods of illness, the

school will write to parents to ask them to provide medical evidence for each future period

of illness related absence. This evidence could be a Doctor’s note, appointment card or

copy of a prescription. We may seek written permission from you for the school to make

their own enquiries.

Medical or dental appointments

Parents/carers should make every effort to ensure these appointments are made outside of

school hours. Where it cannot be avoided, children should attend school for as much of the

appointment day as possible.

Authorised absences There may be some exceptional circumstances where the school will authorise absence such as: Illness - High temperature/vomiting and diarrhoea, emergency medical/dental

appointments which unavoidably falls in school time. Religious observances. Family bereavement. Visits to prospective new schools, external exams or educational assessments. Exclusion from school.

Unauthorised absences These are absences which the school does not consider reasonable and for which “leave” of absence has not been given. This type of absence can lead to the school requesting that the Local Authority use sanctions and/or legal proceedings. Some examples of this type of absence include: Parent/carers keeping their child away from school unnecessarily – this can be due to

child care arrangements, to look after siblings/relatives or because parents are unwell. In this case, alternative arrangements should be in place to ensure the child attends school;

Shopping trips; Birthdays; Day trips and holidays in term time that have not been agreed by the Headteacher.

Attendance Codes, Descriptions and Meanings The national codes enable schools to record and monitor attendance and absence in a consistent way which complies with the regulations. They are also used for collecting statistics through the School Census System. The data helps schools, local authorities and the Government to gain a greater understanding of the level of, and the reasons for, absence.

The codes are:

Code Description Meaning

/ Present (AM) Present in school during registration. Pupils must not be marked present if they were not in school during registration. If a pupil were to leave the school premises after registration they would still be counted as present for statistical purposes.

\ Present (PM)

L Late Late before registers closed. Schools should have a policy on how long registers should be kept open. A pupil arriving after the register has closed should be marked absent with code U, or with another absence code if that is more appropriate.

Approved Educational Activity1 Attendance codes for when pupils are present at approved off-site educational activity are as follows:

Code Description Meaning

B Educated Off-Site (NOT Dual Registration)

This code should be used when pupils are present at an off-site educational activity that has been approved by the school. Ultimately schools are responsible for the safeguarding and welfare of pupils educated off-site. Therefore by using code B, schools are certifying that the education is supervised and measures have been taken to safeguard pupils. This code should not be used for any unsupervised educational activity or where a pupil is at home doing school work. Schools should ensure that they have in place arrangements whereby the provider of the alternative activity notifies the school of any absences by individual pupils. The school should record the pupil’s absence using the relevant absence code. Consortia Schools Pupils attending consortia schools as part of their course only need to be placed on the registers of their ‘main’ school rather than on all of the schools they attend. They should be treated as guest pupils at the other consortia schools. The consortia schools however, must ensure they have suitable systems in place for monitoring and reporting the attendance and absence of the pupils involved, which must be shared with the ‘main’ school.

D Dual Registration (i.e. pupil attending another establishment)

This code is not counted as a possible attendance in the School Census. The law allows for dual registration of pupils at more than one school. This code is used to indicate that the pupil was not expected to attend the session in question because they were scheduled to attend the other school at which they are registered. The main examples of dual registration are pupils who are attending a pupil referral unit, a hospital school or a special school on a temporary basis. It can also be used for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children, but only when the pupil is known to be registered at another school during the session in question. Each school should only record the pupil’s attendance and absence for those sessions that the pupil is scheduled to attend their school. Schools should ensure that they have in place arrangements whereby all unexplained and unexpected absence is followed up in a timely manner.

J At an interview with prospective employers, or another educational establishment

This code should be used to record time spent in interviews with prospective employers or another educational establishment. Schools should be satisfied that the interview is linked to employment prospects, further education or transfer to another educational establishment.

P Participating in an approved sporting activity

This code should be used to record the sessions when a pupil is taking part in a sporting activity that has been approved by the school and supervised by someone authorised by the school.

V Educational visit or trip This code should be used for attendance at an organised trip or visit, including residential trips organised by the school, or attendance at a supervised trip of a strictly educational nature arranged by an organisation approved by the school.

W Work experience Work experience is for pupils in the final two years of compulsory education. Schools should ensure that they have in place arrangements whereby the work experience placement provider notifies the school of any absences by individual pupils. Any absence should be recorded using the relevant code.

1 An approved educational activity is where a pupil is taking part in supervised educational activity such as field trips, educational visits, work experience or alternative provision. The activity must be of an educational nature approved by the school and supervised by someone authorised by the school. The activity must take place during the session for which the mark is recorded.

Authorised Absence from School2 Absence codes when pupils are not present in school are as follows:

Code Description Meaning

C Leave of Absence authorised by the school

Only exceptional circumstances warrant leave of absence. Schools should consider each request individually taking into account the circumstances, such as: the nature of the event for which leave is sought; the frequency of the request; whether the parent gave advance notice; and the pupil’s attainment, attendance and ability to catch up on missed schooling.

E Excluded (no alternative provision made)

If no alternative provision is made for a pupil to continue their education whilst they are excluded but still on the admission register, they should be marked absent in the attendance register using code E. Where alternative provision is made they should be marked using the appropriate attendance code.

H Holiday authorised by the school

Headteachers should not grant leave of absence unless in exceptional circumstances. The application must be made in advance and the head teacher must be satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances which warrant the leave. Where a leave of absence is granted, the Headteacher will determine the number of days a pupil can be away from school. A leave of absence is granted entirely at the Headteacher’s discretion.

I Illness (NOT medical or dental appointments etc.)

Schools should advise parents/carers to notify the school as soon as possible when a child is ill. If the authenticity of illness is in doubt, schools can request parents/carers to provide medical evidence to support illness. Schools can record the absence as unauthorised if not satisfied of the seriousness of the illness but should advise parents of their intention. Schools are advised not to request medical certificates unnecessarily (particularly retrospective certificates), especially if the illness was not treated by a doctor at the time. Medical evidence can take the form of prescriptions, appointment cards, etc. rather than doctors’ notes.

M Medical / Dental appointments

Missing registration for a medical or dental appointment is counted as an authorised absence. Schools should, however, encourage parents to make appointments out of school hours. Where this is not possible, the pupil should only be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary for the appointment.

R Religious observance Schools must treat absence as authorised when it is due to religious observance. The day must be exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which the parents/carers belong. Where necessary, schools should seek advice from the parent/carers’ religious body about whether it has set the day apart for religious observance.

S Study leave Schools must record study leave as authorised absence. Study leave should be used sparingly and only granted to Year 11 pupils during public examinations. Provision should still be made available for those pupils who want to continue to come into school to revise.

T Gypsy, Roma and Traveller absence

A number of different groups are covered by the generic term Traveller – Roma, English and Welsh Gypsies, Irish and Scottish Travellers, Showmen (fairground people) and Circus people, Bargees (occupational boat dwellers) and New Travellers. This code should be used when Traveller families are known to be travelling for occupational purposes and have agreed this with the school but it is not known whether the pupil is attending educational provision. It should not be used for any other types of absence by these groups. To help ensure continuity of education for Traveller children it is expected that the child should attend school elsewhere when their family is travelling and be

2 ‘Authorised absence’ means that the school has either given approval in advance for a pupil of compulsory school age to be away, or has

accepted an explanation offered afterwards as justification for absence.

dual registered at that school and the main school. Children from these groups whose families do not travel are expected to register at a school and attend as normal. They are subject to the same rules as other children in terms of the requirement to attend school regularly once registered at a school.

Unauthorised Absence from School Unauthorised absence is where a school is not satisfied with the reasons given for the absence. Absence codes are as follows:

Code Description Meaning

G Holiday not authorised by the school or in excess of the period determined by the Headteacher.

If a school does not authorise a leave of absence and the parents/carers still take the child on holiday, or the child is kept away for longer than was agreed, the absence is unauthorised. The regulations do not allow schools to give retrospective approval. If parents/carers did not apply for the leave of absence in advance the absence must be recorded as unauthorised.

N Reason not yet provided for absence

Schools should follow up all unexplained and unexpected absences in a timely manner. Every effort should be made to establish the reason for a pupil’s absence. When the reason for the pupil’s absence has been established the register should be amended immediately.

O Absent from school without authorisation

If the school is not satisfied with the reason given for absence they should record it as unauthorised.

U Arrived in school after registration closed

Schools should actively discourage late arrival, be alert to patterns of late arrival and seek an explanation from the parent.

Administrative Codes The following codes are not counted as a possible attendance in the School Census:

Code Description Meaning

X Not required to be in school

This code is used to record sessions that non-compulsory school age children are not expected to attend.

Y Unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances

This code can be used where a pupil is unable to attend because:

The school site, or part of it, is closed due to an unavoidable cause.

The transport provided by the school or a local authority is not available and where the pupil’s home is not within walking distance.

A local or national emergency has resulted in widespread disruption to travel which has prevented the pupil from attending school.

This code can also be used where a pupil is unable to attend because:

The pupil is in custody; detained for a period of less than four months. If the school has evidence from the place of custody that the pupil is attending educational activities then they can record those sessions as code B (present at approved educational activity).

This code is collected in the School Census for statistical purposes.

Z Pupil not on admission register

This code is available to enable schools to set up registers in advance of pupils joining the school to ease administration burdens. Schools must put pupils on the admission register from the first day that the school has agreed, or been notified, that the pupil will attend the school.

# Planned whole or partial school closure

This code should be used for whole or partial school closures that are known or planned in advance such as: between terms; half terms; occasional days (for example, bank holidays); weekends (where it is required by the management information system); up to 5 non-educational days to be used for curriculum planning/training; and use of schools as polling stations.

3

3 Different Term Dates for Different Pupils - Schools and local authorities can agree to set different term dates for different year groups –

e.g. for ‘staggered starts’ or ‘induction days’. Code # can be used to record the year group(s) that is not due to attend. This is only

Family holidays and term time leave

From September 2013 the Department for Education have amended the Pupil Registration

Regulations, removing the Head Teacher’s ability to authorise leave of absence for the

purpose of a family holiday. Parent/carers should ensure that family holidays and any term

time leave are arranged outside of school term time. Parent/carers should not remove their

child from school during term time without having first requested a leave of absence in

writing from the Headteacher. A form can be requested from the Office and should be

returned as soon as possible.

The Head Teacher may authorise absence in “exceptional circumstances” but this must be

requested in advance and agreement to each request is at the discretion of the Head

Teacher, acting on behalf of the Governing Body (Education (Pupil Registration) (England)

Regulations 2006). Each case will be judged on its merits and the Head Teacher’s decision is

final. Once the decision not to authorise leave is taken, it cannot be authorised

retrospectively.

If the absence is not authorised and the holiday is taken anyway, a Penalty Notice may be

issued to each parent for each child taken out of school. Failure to pay the penalty in full by

the end of the 28 day period will result in prosecution by the Local Authority.

Religious observance

Brampton Primary Academy recognises that there may be times where children of different

faiths observe religious festivals that fall outside of school holidays and weekends, and will

allow authorised absence for these times. Parent/carers will be aware of these dates and

should give the school written notification in advance.

acceptable where the school ensures that those pupils not attending on that day are still offered a full education (i.e. 380 sessions) over

the school year.

Attendance Procedures Our school will undertake to follow the following procedures to support good attendance:

To maintain appropriate registration processes. To maintain appropriate attendance data. To communicate clearly the attendance procedures and expectations to all staff,

governors, parents and pupils. To have consistent and systematic daily records which give detail of any absence and

lateness. To follow up absences and persistent lateness if parents/carers have not communicated

with the school. To inform parents/carers what constitutes authorised and unauthorised absence. To strongly discourage unnecessary absence through holidays taken during term time. To work with parents to improve individual pupils attendance and punctuality To refer to the Educational Welfare Service any child whose attendance causes concern

and where parents/carers have not responded to school initiatives to improve. To report attendance statistics to Bexley Local Authority and the DfE where requested. All staff should be aware that they must raise any attendance or punctuality concerns to

the member of Leadership Team with responsibility for monitoring attendance.

Reporting Absence/First Day Calling On the first day of absence, the parent/carer must either telephone the school or relay in

person to the school office before 10am the child’s name, class and reason for absence.

During busy times, the answer phone may be switched on, in which case a message can be

left. (In the event of a medical appointment, a note should be handed to the school office

with a copy of the appointment card or letter)

If no reason for absence has been provided by 10am, parents are contacted on the first day

of absence by phone call. This is our statutory responsibility to find out where the child is

and the reason for this absence.

If on a second day no further contact has been made to establish the child’s absence then a

further phone call is made. If by 12pm on that day there has still been no contact regarding

the child a home visit will be made by two members of staff and a letter posted through the

door asking parents/carers to make contact.

If by the third day there has still been no contact the school will request a police home visit

to conduct a ‘health check’ to ensure the child’s and their family’s safety.’

Monitoring Attendance Our office staff, has the responsibility for ensuring that all of the attendance data is

accurately recorded on the Arbor attendance software. Regular meetings are held with the

Headteacher to discuss all attendance concerns and appropriate actions are taken following

these meetings such as letters sent to parents or meetings arranged to discuss attendance

concerns with parents.

Roles and Responsibilities All members of school staff have a responsibility for identifying trends in attendance and

punctuality. The following includes a more specific list of the kinds of responsibilities which

individuals might have. Governing Body As part of our whole-school approach to maintaining high attendance, the governing body will:

Ensure that the importance of attendance is made clear by promoting the relevant school policies and guidance directed at parents and staff;

Annually review the school’s attendance policy and ensure that all provisions are in place to allow school staff, parents/carers, and children to implement the policy effectively;

Nominate or identify a member of the governing body who will take the lead role in monitoring attendance and coordinating provision and policies for attendance;

Ensure that all legislation regarding attendance is complied with and that up-to-date guidelines are communicated to parents/carers, children, and staff;

Work out appropriate and accurate annual attendance numbers and future attendance targets, and submit these to the LA within an agreed timescale each year;

Take time at governor’s meetings to review and discuss attendance issues that have arisen in order to stay on top of expected attendance targets for the year;

Ensure that the school is implementing effective means of recording attendance and organising that data, including for children who are educated off-site;

Ensure that they are clear on how to analyse attendance data and how to communicate the findings effectively to parents and staff;

Use any data gathered to devise solutions to problems, make the proper adjustments to attendance coordination and target set for the future.

School Leadership Team As part of our whole-school approach to maintaining high attendance, the school leadership team will:

Be active in their approach to promoting good attendance to pupils and their parents/carers, which includes forming positive relationships with families;

Ensure that the school’s teaching and learning experiences encourage regular attendance and that pupils are taught the value of high attendance for their own progression and achievement;

Coordinate with the governing body to monitor the implementation of the attendance policy and its effectiveness, with an annual full policy review;

Ensure that all staff are up to date with the school’s attendance policy and government legislation, and that staff are fully trained to recognise and deal with attendance issues;

Ensure that government legislation on attendance is complied with and that they (the leadership team) are up to date with any legislation changes and how to implement them;

Nominate or appoint a senior manager to take the responsibility of overseeing and monitoring attendance provision and that this person has sufficient time and resources to give to this job;

Report to the governing body each term and the lead governor for attendance half-termly on attendance records, data and provision;

Ensure that systems to record and report attendance data are in place and working effectively;

Develop multi-agency relationships to help with poor attendance and support families who are having difficulties getting their child to attend;

Document any specific interventions or steps taken to work with families to improve their child’s attendance in case of future legal proceedings.

Teachers and Support Staff As part of our whole-school approach to maintaining high attendance, the school’s teachers and support staff will:

Be active in their approach to promoting good attendance to pupils and their parents/carers, which includes forming positive relationships with families;

Ensure that the school’s teaching and learning experiences encourage regular attendance and that pupils are taught the value of high attendance for their own personal progression and achievement;

Ensure that they are fully aware and up to date with the school’s attendance policy and government legislation and that they will speak to another member of staff or seek support if they are unsure how to deal with an attendance issue;

Ensure that they are following the correct systems for recording attendance and that attendance is taken daily;

Contribute to strategy meetings and interventions where they are needed;

Work with external agencies to support pupils and their families who are struggling with regular attendance.

Attendance Lead As part of our whole-school approach to maintaining high attendance, the school has a designated Attendance Lead who has responsibility for the monitoring of pupil absences. The Attendance Lead will:

Contribute to raising achievement at Brampton Primary Academy by improving school attendance.

Oversee the school’s attendance procedures, ensuring that official registers are accurately maintained and attendance trends monitored.

In conjunction with the Headteacher, regularly monitor attendance patterns. Pupils causing concern are identified, discussed and strategies for improving attendance are employed.

Promote positive attitudes by pupils and families towards education and to ensure that parent/carers are made fully aware of their statutory responsibilities.

Make contact and where necessary meet with families to assess the reasons impacting on the attendance of individual pupils, facilitating their return or access to regular full time education provision.

Reduce levels of unauthorised absence, persistent absence and poor punctuality and reflect the policies and values of Brampton Primary Academy.

Administration staff

Staff in the School Office are responsible for: Collating and recording registration and attendance information. Taking and recording messages from parents regarding absence. Ensuring the Absence/Late Book is completed. Contacting parents of absent children where no contact has been made. Recording details of children who arrive late or go home. Keeping an overview of class and individual attendance looking particularly for either

poor overall attendance, anomalies in patterns of attendance and/ or unusual explanations for attendance offered by children and their parents/ carers and reporting concerns to the Headteacher.

Sending out standard letters regarding attendance. Parents and Carers As part of our whole-school approach to maintaining high attendance, we request that parent/carers:

Ensure that where possible their children attend school on time, every day.

Engage with their children’s education – support their learning and take an interest in what they have been doing at school;

Promote the value of good education and the importance of regular school attendance at home;

Encourage and support their children’s aspirations;

Follow the set school procedure for reporting the absence of their child from school;

Do everything they can to prevent unnecessary school absences, such as by arranging medical and dental appointments outside of school hours;

Use the school as a support when they or their child are having difficulties, and work to form a positive relationship with the school so that there is easy communication when a problem arises;

Keep the school informed of any circumstances which may affect their child’s attendance;

Enforce a regular routine at home in terms of homework, bedtime, etc. so that the child is used to consistency and the school day becomes part of that routine. It is vital that the child receives the same message at home as they do at school about the importance of attendance;

Do not take their children out of school during term time. Parents/carers may request term time leave in writing, using the appropriate form, but the Headteacher will authorise time off in only the most exceptional circumstances.

Sign a home-school agreement.

Pupils As part of our whole-school approach to maintaining high attendance, we request that pupils:

Be aware of the school’s attendance policy and when they are required to attend. This will be communicated to them through the school staff, parents/carers, and the school timetable;

Speak to their class teacher or another member of staff if they are experiencing any difficulties at school or at home which may impact on their attendance;

Be ready to learn, with the appropriate learning tools required and on time for all classes.

Follow the correct set school procedure if they arrive late. Pupils are held responsible for this and it is made clear to all pupils what this procedure is by their class teachers. This will help the school to monitor attendance and keep accurate records for the child’s individual attendance, and is also vital for health and safety in the event of a school evacuation.

Registration All the school doors open at 8.45am until 8.55am. This time is sufficient for all pupils to

come into their classroom.

Each class teacher has the responsibility for keeping an accurate record of attendance. Any

pupil who is absent must be recorded at the beginning of the morning and afternoon

session. The attendance register must be completed by the class teacher by 9.00 (KS2) and

9.00 (KS1) am and by 1.20pm. (Attendance code / and \\ for pupils who are present) These

registers are then returned to the school office.

All attendance records are documented using Arbor software, which is supported by the

Local Authority. Attendance registers are legal documents and these must be kept secure

and preserved for a period of three years after the date they were last used.

Lateness Once the doors are closed at 8.55am the only way to get into school is via the school office.

Any pupil who comes into school this way from 8.55am will be marked as late in the

attendance record. Records are kept of those pupils who are late, this is documented on the

electronic register for each pupil (Attendance code L). Any child who arrives for school later

than 9:15am will be marked as having an unauthorised absence for the morning.

(Attendance code U).

Children who are persistently late miss a significant amount of learning, often the most

important aspect, as the beginning of the day is where the teacher explains the learning and

what each child is expected to achieve.

Where there have been persistent incidents of lateness parents/carers will receive a letter

advising them of the concerns and the school will provide opportunities for parents/carers

to seek support and advice to address these issues.

Being frequently late for school adds up to lost learning:

Arriving 5 minutes late every day adds up to over 3 days lost each year.

Arriving 15 minutes late every day is the same as being absent for 2 weeks a year.

Arriving 30 minutes late every day is the same as being absent for 19 days a year.

19 days lost a year through being late = 90% attendance = Persistent Absence.

Some strategies to support improving punctuality Night time routines

Encourage children to pack their school bag before going to bed, ready for the next day.

Getting to bed earlier.

Setting a time for a television, iPad, computer, mobile phone and other devices to be turned off.

Morning routines

Setting the alarm for a time that allows all morning routines to be carried out without making them late for school.

Having breakfast before leaving home, so there is no need to call in at the shop on the way to school.

Encourage them to leave home at least five minutes earlier than they think they needs to.

Meeting a reliable friend to walk to school with.

Coming to school for breakfast club if available.

Addressing Attendance Concerns The school expects attendance of at least 97%.

It is important for children to establish good attendance habits early on in their primary

school career. It is the responsibility of the Headteacher and the governors to support good

attendance and to identify and address attendance concerns promptly. In primary school

were upon parents to ensure their child attends school regularly and punctually and

therefore where there are concerns regarding attendance parents are always informed of

our concerns. Initially concerns about attendance are raised with parents via letters which

are sent home. There will be opportunities for the parent/carer to discuss reasons for

absenceand support to be given by the school with the aim to improve attendance. Where

a child’s attendance record does not improve over a period of time then the school has a

responsibility to make a referral to the Educational Welfare Service. The Education Welfare

Service (EWS) will issue penalty notices to parents where there has been a referral to EWS

from the school as part of the school’s processes to address poor attendance patterns.

In addition, education-related parenting orders are available by direct application by a

school or LA to the Magistrates’ Court as an ancillary order following a successful

prosecution by the LA for irregular attendance or breach of a school attendance order.

The Education Welfare Officer visits once a half term to check and monitor attendance.

They carry out regular register checks to identify children with low attendance (usually

below 90%). They work with the school to improve attendance and may issue fixed penalty

fines if attendance support meetings held by the school do not improve attendance.

Last Reviewed

APPENDIX ONE: ATTENDANCE INTERVENTIONS

Threshold Intervention By whom

100-96%

Daily and weekly monitoring takes place (first day calling and weekly attendance figures).

Assembly is used to share and celebrate attendance figures with pupils.

Letter 1 sent out to any parents who cannot be contacted re: pupil’s first day absence from school.

Annual awards for pupils that meet and exceed the school’s attendance target of 97%.

Class teacher encourages/monitors attendance

Admin

Attendance Lead

SLT

Below 97%

(preventative)

If attendance dips below 97% and is either unauthorised or the reasons provided are questionable, a letter informing parents of this is sent out, requesting an initial meeting with the Class teacher/Attendance Lead.

Four week period of monitoring takes place where an insufficient reason for absence is provided (unauthorised).

Follow up with the family.

Class teacher

Admin

Attendance Lead

SLT

95-90%

If attendance continues to drop, a letter informing parents of this is sent out, requesting a meeting with the Deputy Headteacher.

Four week period of monitoring takes place.

Other interventions to be considered here as appropriate.

Follow up with the family.

Class teacher (to be kept informed)

Admin

Attendance Lead

Deputy Headteacher

90% and

below

PA threshold:

Meeting with the Headteacher to discuss and agree on a plan of action.

Four week period of monitoring takes place.

Follow up with the family.

Where there is no improvement, then a referral to the Education Welfare Service for statutory action should be considered.

Class teacher (to be kept informed)

Admin

Attendance Lead

Deputy Headteacher

Headteacher

Education Welfare Service