ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL
Good attendance at school is essential if students are to reach their full potential. We expect parents to work with the school to ensure full attendance. We expect parents to telephone to tell us if their child is ill on the first day of absence, and then to write a short note to the Group Tutor when the student returns to school.
Although the Headteacher is permitted to authorise absence of up to two weeks in any school year for an appropriate reason, we recommend that parents arrange holidays in school holiday times, to have the smallest possible impact on students' education.
We will involve the Educational Welfare Officer in every case where we have concerns about a student's attendance.
LATENESS TO SCHOOL
We take a consistent approach to lateness. We believe that punctuality is important and we want to stress it with all children. It is important that children are in school at the stated time for the beginning of the school day. A child is greatly disadvantaged if they arrive after that.
ILLNESS AT SCHOOL
The school has excellent First Aid facilities, and the services of a Welfare Assistant during school hours.
If a student feels ill in school, they go to the Medical Room where first aid can be given. If a student is too ill to stay in school, parents are then contacted to arrange for the student to be taken home.
Parents are asked to inform the school immediately if a student contracts any contagious or infectious disease, or has head lice. This will enable the school to take precautionary measures where necessary.
Attendance Policy
Working together to recognise the value and realise the potential of each student
The Angmering School is committed to encouraging and achieving good attendance for all students. Absence from school for whatever reason can affect a child emotionally, socially and academically.
The Angmering School helps students to establish patterns of regular and punctual attendance. We ensure that responsibilities regarding attendance are made clear to parents and students. We make it clear that unauthorised absence is not tolerated.
We closely monitor the attendance of our students and identify any attendance concerns. Early intervention strategies are in place using appropriate measures to resolve attendance issues as soon as they arise. We are aware that absences may indicate a problem at school, home or both and act promptly to minimise impact on learning.
Key personnel:
The Governors:
- Agree the Attendance Policy and monitor the attendance figures
The Headship Team:
- Monitors the implementation of the Attendance Policy
- Supports and advises on attendance issues
- Ensures that new students and their parents are aware of the policy during their induction to the school
The Assistant Headteacher ensures that:
- Specific guidelines for dealing with attendance issues are adhered to by staff
- Accurate and detailed information is recorded by the necessary parties
- An overview is maintained
- Liaison with the Education Welfare Officer takes place regularly when required and consideration is given on improving our approaches towards attendance
- The policy is reviewed and updated
Year Team Leaders ensure that:
- They are aware of the attendance issues within their Year Group
- They monitor the 85% (or less) attendance figures once a fortnight
- They liaise with the Education Welfare Officer once a fortnight and make referrals when necessary, using the standard A6 referral letter
- They encourage their tutor team to send letters, make phone calls or meet with parents, when necessary, to improve attendance
- They attend Attendance Planning Meetings when necessary
- The subject of attendance has a high profile by mentioning in assemblies and rewarding high attendance
- Students on fixed term exclusion are supported and the Education Welfare Officer informed
- Students with long term medical problems are identified ad the necessary strategies are implemented
Group Tutors ensure that:
- Daily registers are accurately taken for their tutor group within the agreed time frame
- Letters are sent home for unexplained absence
- They are alert to patterns of attendance during the school day and follow up any unexplained absence during the school day
- They contact parents and intervene early on if they have concerns
- They meet with parents, should the need arise, to discuss attendance concerns
All teachers ensure that:
- They register the class accurately, within the first ten minutes of a lesson
- They inform the administration team if a student is missing from their lesson
- They inform the tutor if a student is missing from their lesson and liaise on the suitable follow up
The data handling officer ensures that:
- First day absence calls are sent home when absence is unexplained
- Daily Absentee List Reports (both the 'All with Absents' and the 'Registered but has absents') are given to the relevant parties
- 'Traditional AM/PM Attendance Reports' are sent weekly to relevant parties
- Fortnightly letters are produced to assist tutors to chase unexplained absence
- He/she is available to answer any queries regarding attendance
- The information pack is produced for all new tutors to the school
- He/she is available during the attendance 'sweeps' and 'swoops' to assist the Education Welfare Service
The Education Welfare Officer ensures that:
- Fortnightly meeting are arranged with Year Team Leaders to discuss attendance concerns and a discussion log is completed
- Discussions take place on referrals and cases accepted when deemed necessary
- Action from Stage One through to Stage Five takes place when deemed necessary (see appendix)
- Early intervention with students and/or their parents occurs when concerns are raised
- Discussions take place with the Assistant Headteacher on whole school attendance issues
- Meetings are arranged with the Learning Skills Development Co-ordinator when necessary
All students ensure that:
- They attend school on a regular basis unless they are ill, or have other authorised reasons for not attending school
All parents ensure that:-
- They notify the school when their child is ill on the first day of absence
- Only take holidays during term time when it is absolutely necessary and always obtain permission by completing a holiday request form
- They work with the school if attendance of their child becomes an issue
Links with other Policies:
- Anti-Bullying Policy
- Behaviour Policy
- Child Protection Policy
Success Criteria for Policy:
- Reduced figures for authorised and unauthorised absence
- Improved figures for overall attendance
This policy has been written in consultation with the Education Welfare
Service