Rhyl Primary School

SWISSCOTTAGESCHOOL

Attendance Policy

Date policy Reviewed:January 2010

People involved in

writing the policy:Maisie Sammon (Deputy Head)

Consultation process:Gill Collins (Deputy Head)

Senior Leadership Team

TLR’s for Learning

Subject leaders

Teaching Staff

Key responsibilities:

Person responsible:Maisie Sammon

Display/availability:Policy file: Deputy Headteacher School Website

Shared Drive

Monitoring:Senior Leadership Team Governors

Review:Bi- annually

Update: Annually

All staff will work with pupils and their families to ensure each pupil attends school regularly and punctually. Our school will work with pupils and their families to ensure each member of the school community feels wanted and secure.

Aim of this policy

To have a clear understanding of the importance of attendance and punctuality in a child’s education.
To have a clear understanding of the procedures around dealing with attendance and punctuality in our school.
To promote high levels of attendance, reduce levels of unauthorised absence and promote high levels of punctuality.

Governors Statement on Attendance

Our Governing Body believes that good attendance at school is the first step towards pupil progress and achievement. Good punctuality shows respect for teachers and peers and ensures that children are ready and willing to learn.

Responsibility of the Governing Body

To request from the Headteacher regular reports on attendance and punctuality.
To include attendance in the annual School Profile to parents / carers.

Responsibility of the Headteacher/Associate Headteacher

To oversee the implementation of attendance policies and procedures.
Ensure the collection of accurate statistical data.
Develop efficient monitoring and evaluation systems.
Form positive links with outside agencies such as Education Welfare Service EWS.
Refer pupils to the Education Welfare Service when attendanceis 85% or less with 5% unauthorised absence.
Discuss with EWO / Local Authority legal action such as presenting a case of persistent non attendance to the Magistrates court
Refer children with several episodes of medical reasons for absence to the School Nurse/Family Inclusion Manager.
Report regularly to the Governing Body on attendance.
Positively promote good attendance within the school.
Communicate with parents / carers verbally and in writing.

Responsibility of the class teacher

Ensure accurate register keeping.
Only mark pupils present if they are in front of you. Leave register blank if pupils are absent, unless you have prior knowledge of the reason in advance.
Communicate with the Teaching & Learning responsibility (TLR) /DeputyHeadteacher with regards to attendance/punctuality concerns
Set class/pupil targets annually & monitor progress
Positively promote good attendance & punctuality within the class.
Make positive links with parents / carers & regularly communicate with them regarding achievements/concerns.
To be proactive in identifying patterns of poor attendance/punctuality and refer to TLR/Deputy Headteacher
Ensure that attendance data is analysed termly and targets are addressed and pupils supported to meet their target.

Responsibility of TLR

To ensure that the registers are kept accurately in their key stage.
Make positive steps to meet the whole school attendance target
To challenge targets not met
To actively promote good attendance & punctuality in your key stage
To analyse attendance data termly & report to the deputy headteacher
Communicate regularly with parents where necessary.

Responsibility of the Associate Headteacher

To ensure that the system for attendance is robust and maintained.
To ensure that every effort is made to meet the whole school target
Ensure that practice throughout the school is consistent with the policy.
To oversee the work of the Administrative staff/class teachers/TLRs/Family/Inclusion Managerand delegate appropriately.
Assist the Headteacher in the collection of data for Local Authority and DCFS returns.
Report to the Governing body regularly

Responsibility of the Administrative Staff with Responsibility for Attendance

Set up registers at the start of the year,
Record late arrivals,and specify time of arrival in register / late book
Monitor late arrival in the mornings & inform class teachers of patterns.
Ensure that parent/carer’s contact details are up to date & contact parents by letter who are hard to reach by phone.

Make the first day call to parent/carers before 10am if pupils have not arrived in school and ensure they give specific reasons for absence. If no contact is made, a text message will be sent.

Where contact with the parent/carer has not been possible, i.e. (messages left on answer machine), ensure thata ‘reason for absence letter’ is sent to parent/carers on the third day of absence (sooner if there have been ongoing concerns).
Ensure that punctuality concernsare raised with class teachers.
Liaise with the Deputy Headteacher and the Education Welfare Officer with regards to attendance and punctuality issues where appropriate.
Maintain up to date knowledge of the code system for registers & monitor that staff are using them.
Email staff if registers are inaccurate or incorrect codes are used (copy to TLR).
Have up to date knowledge of the Local Authority’s guidance on matters regarding attendance and punctuality.
Systematically monitor applications for extended / exceptional leave abroad.

Illness, Medical and Dental Appointments

Advance notice of appointments can be recorded in the register ahead of the appointment. When the information is given by the parent / carer after the event, the register must be adjusted accordingly with the correct notation and in accordance with the DCSF guidance.

If a pupil has a prolonged absence due to illness/hospitalisation, the class teacher will either liaise with the hospital school tutor or provide suitable work for the pupil to complete at home whilst out of school.
If a pupil has to attend regular appointments as a result of their SEN, their attendance will be recorded as a ‘B’ (authorised).
Class teachers will make arrangements for their pupils to communicate via email/post with a pupil who has a prolonged absence due to a prolonged illness.
Where possible long term sick pupils who are able could be assisted to visit their class.
Pupils returning after a prolonged illnesswill be reintegrated back into school gradually and arrangements will be made by the Family Inclusion Manager.

Guidelines for Extended / exceptional leaveOverseas

Granting extended / exceptional leave is at the discretion of the Headteacher and in line with Camden Local Authority guidance to schools.
Parents / carers should apply for leave at the office, using the application letter.
In considering an application for extended / exceptional leave during term time and visits overseas the following will be taken into account,

-Attendance of pupils, should meet the Governments national average of 95%,

-Ensure that the pupil is on task for meeting their attainment levels.

Children who do not return to school by the due date are at serious risk of losing their school place.
Medical certificates from overseas and delayed travel plans are not always acceptable reasons for not returning to school on time and may require further investigation by the Local Authority.

Guidelines for Responding to Non-Attendance or poor punctuality

The Administrative staff records non-attendance and reports to the Deputy Head teacher/TLR. Any informal information such as a telephone conversation should be recorded, dated and reported in the registers
Deputy Head teacher or TLR may write to parents / carers regarding concerns.
Family Support Worker(FSW) / EWS / Family Inclusion Manager may also be informed about persistent late arrival at school.
Deputy Head teacher, EWO, Administrative / Attendance Officer and meet regularly in school to discuss concerns and strategies to support parents and young people to improve attendance and punctuality.

Procedure for involving parents / carers

Parents / carers are encouraged to leave messages with specific reasons for their child’s absence on the school answering phone.
Administrative staff makesthe first day call to parents before 10am if pupils have not arrived in school.
Notes are put in diaries from class teachers for parents / carers requesting a note about absences if none are provided.
Admin staff will send letters if no reason is forthcoming.
Discussion about absence may take place during Annual Review/ general meetings/ or during general phone calls.
EWO makes telephone calls and may follow up with home visits having been informed by administrative staff/Deputy Head.

Promoting Positive Attendance

We use the following ways to promote positive attendance and punctuality and to prevent attendance and punctuality issues arising:

Setting targets for the whole school and making them public through our assemblies and Newsletter. Our target for 2009 – 2010 is 94%.
All pupils have an attendance target which is shared with parent/carers at the annual review meeting.
Pupils to be involved and encouraged to track their own attendance & punctuality.
Attendance and Punctuality Certificates awarded every term for exceeding/ meeting the school target and for continual improvement.
Individual awards presented by the Class teachers for 100% attendance over aterm.
Administrative staff / send parent/carers letters of encouragement and congratulations termly if their child has made progress in meeting the school/personal attendance target.
Attendance Notice Board, to be displayed in each classroom and in a central place (Hall). This will contain information on attendance, and promote the importance of good school attendance and punctuality.
Teaching Assistants / HLTAs welcoming the pupils at the start of the school day.
Staff in school may do Circle Time on attendance and punctuality in PSHE & SEAL lessons.
The provision of a translator for parents, where necessary, when discussing attendance and punctuality issues.
Being clear about what is unacceptable, i.e. unauthorised absence and poor punctuality and the expectation of parents to improve it.
Keep attendance high on the Schools agenda
Promoting the Schools ethos on attendance / punctuality when issuing Newsletters to parents.

Signed:

Chair (or Vice-Chair of Governors)______Date______

Headteacher (or Deputy Headteacher)______Date______