Policy Statement

 This policy reflects the vision and aims of our school by:

·        Encouraging staff, parents and children to maximise the learning experience in order that all children reach their full potential

·        Encouraging the development of high self-esteem

·        Providing a framework for parents and staff

·        Providing clear procedures for involving parents

·        Providing clear procedures for referring to external agencies

We encourage parents/carers to work in partnership with us in order to improve attendance and punctuality and recognise that ‘parents have the primary responsibility to ensure that pupils of compulsory school age attend school regularly’ (DCSF 1999).

Absence or Punctuality

Regular attendance is of paramount importance in ensuring that all children have full access to the curriculum.  Valuable learning time is lost when children are absent or late.  Every half day is registered as either authorised or unathorised.  Authorised absences are mornings or afternoons away from school for a reason such as a genuine illness or other unavoidable cause. Unauthorised absences are those which the school does not consider reasonable and for which no authorisation has been given. This includes:

·         Parents keeping children off school unnecessarily

·         Truancy before or during the school day

·         Absences which have never been properly explained

·         Chidlren who arrive at school too late to get a mark

Parents/carers role 

·         To ensure that children are not on the school premises before 8.40am.

·        To ensure that children are supervised by an adult before and after school.

·        To ensure that children enter the school building between 8.45 and 8.55 am.

·        To sign late children in so that we can notify the kitchen if lunch is required.

·        To collect children punctually at 3.10 pm for infants and 3.15 pm for juniors.

Absence for Medical Reasons

It is the parents/carers responsibility:-

·        To notify the school on the morning of the first day of absence before 9.30 am.

·        To send a dated letter explaining the absence on the child’s return to school.

·        If a child needs regular medical attention before coming to school, to agree a later registration time.

·        To inform the office in writing of any medical appointments that the child has to attend.

·        To liaise with the school regarding specific problems that might cause absence or lateness, e.g. a sick child or parent/carer.

Absence for Holidays 

Parents are requested to take annual holidays during the school breaks.    In very exceptional circumstances up to 10 days absence may be requested but must be agreed by the headteacher.  

If parents wish to request time out of school for exceptional holiday purposes, they need to obtain a holiday form from the office and return it 14 days prior to the date required.  Once a decision has been made, a slip will be returned to them.

 Any absence which has not been previously agreed and is not for reasons of sickness, accident or emergency will be registered as unauthorised.  We follow Government guidelines and work in partnership with our Education Welfare Officer (EWO) to ensure our attendance is as high as possible. 

School Role

We have the responsibility to ensure that all children receive a minimum of 21 hours teaching time per week.  This does not include time for registration or collective worship.  Our role is:

·        To ensure that the children are safe by shutting the back gate at 9.00am

·         To register the children promptly

·         To record absence appropriately

·         To check registers daily for first day of absence

·        To telephone parents who have not contacted school by 9.30 am on the first day of absence, priority given to:-

-          children on the Protection Register or involved with Social Services.

-          Children where there is a particular concern, e.g. looked after children, family/medical reasons.

-          Children whose parents are normally fastidious in making first day contact.

·         To log all phone calls and letters concerning absence 

·        To monitor lateness and absence, look for patterns and take appropriate action.

·        To inform the EWO of any concerns regarding absences or punctuality

·        To involve the EWO of any concerns regarding absences and punctuality

·        To write to parents at least annually reminding them of their responsibilities and requesting up to date information regarding contact numbers

·         To send regular reminders regarding absences

·        To raise concerns regarding absences at consultation evenings or sooner if necessary

·        To discourage the practice of taking children out of school for odd days and holidays

·        For the Headteacher to authorise/not authorise the request of holidays in term time and respond in writing

·        To report all unauthorised absence on the child’s annual report

·        To publish attendance data

·        To monitor and set targets annually in order to improve attendance

County’s role

The Education Welfare Service, acting on behalf of the LA, is responsible for the enforcement of attendance of all registered children and has an obligation to ensure this, if necessary, through legal action.

It will:

·        Act on requests made by the school regarding lack of contact on first day of absence

·        Inspect registers twice a term and contact parents/carers of children who have a high level of absence or lateness

·        Respond to a request for transport if a parent/carer has a severe or prolonged illness and has difficulty getting a child to school

·        Provide support, if necessary from the Ethnic Minorities Pupil Service for parents who have English as a second language

The LA states:

“Responsibility for a child’s attendance at school, and for contacting the school promptly if a child cannot attend, lies with the parents.  The authority believes that schools that follow its guidelines will have taken appropriate steps to support parents in that responsibility”(Dec 1999 – guidance on contact of first day of absence) 

Success Criteria

·         Improved punctuality and attendance

·         School meeting its annual target for improvement

·         Raised levels of education achievement