FINCH WOODS ACADEMY
ATTENDANCE POLICY
APPROVED CHAIR OF GOVERNORS: ______
DATE: ______
REVIEW: SEPTEMBER 2017
ATTENDANCE POLICY
RATIONALE
Regular school attendance is important. Without it the efforts of the best teachers and the best schools would come to nothing. Education provides a means of advancement for all young people. Students need to attend regularly if they are to take full advantage of the educational opportunities available to them. Irregular attendance undermines the educational process and leads to educational disadvantage. It places students at risk of being drawn into patterns of anti-social or criminal behaviour.
(Extract from DfE Booklet: ‘School Attendance’ May 1994)
HOME/SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP
We wish parents to:
· make sure your child attends school regularly;
· ensure your child has had a good night’s sleep and is learning ready every day;
· contact the school whenever your child is unable to attend;
· inform the school by telephone in advance when appointments need to be made in school time, e.g. for dentist, hospital;
· send a written note to explain the reason for absence, when your child returns to school;
· arrange holidays within school holidays and not keep your child away from school without good reason (Please see footnote)*
At Finch Woods Academy the staff and governors endeavour to support parents in this responsibility by:
a) providing a comprehensive induction programme for new entrants and parents to help children come to school willingly with a positive attitude.
b) encouraging parents to discuss any attendance related problems with the student support coordinator/head teacher.
c) aiming to ensure that the school is bright, clean, warm and welcoming
d) informing parents of any changes in the school routine by letter or a phone call e.g. school trips, rewards visits
e) always try to set good examples of punctuality and attendance as adult role models
f) encourage and reward good attendance so that children learn its value;
g) monitor and improve the school’s attendance figures;
h) offer targeted help to children/families as and when appropriate.
REPORTING ABSENCES
It is parents’ responsibility to inform schools of the reason for a child's absence as soon as possible.
At Finch Woods parents are expected to contact the school office on the first day of absence giving as much information as is available at that time.
On their return to school children should bring a letter from their parents confirming the reason for their absence and giving any other appropriate information. Absences without written notes are recorded as unauthorised absence.
In the event of no contact having been made regarding a child's absence, the parents will be contacted by the school student support coordinator. If unexplained absence continues, or the school is concerned regarding irregular attendance the assistance of the school attendance service will be enlisted. In cases of prolonged absence and an inability to contact parents, as part of our safeguarding procedures, the child protection officer and / or the Safer Schools Police Officer will be informed. The safer schools police officer will be tasked to undertake a home visit in cases of prolonged absence and an inability to contact parents or carers by telephone.
REGISTRATION
An attendance register is taken at the beginning of each morning at 8.50 where pupils are marked present or absent. . For register and attendance purposes, the morning session ends at 12.15pm. The afternoon session register opens at 12.40pm and closes at 12.45pm
The session times for Finch Woods Academy are:
Taxis/Breakfast / 8.30-8.50.amRegistration / 8.50-8.55am
Morning Session / 8.55am - 12:15 pm
Lunch Supervision / 12.15pm-12.40pm
Registration / 12.40pm -12.45.pm
Afternoon Session / 12:45pm – 2.20pm
EWB / 2.20-2.30pm
Registration / 2.30pm onwards
AUTHORISED/UNAUTHORISED ABSENCE
Only the school can approve absence, not parents. The following guidelines are here to help parents distinguish between authorised and unauthorised absence. If after reading these guidelines you are still in doubt please contact the student support coordinator.
a. Illness, Medical and Dental Appointments - If the school is satisfied that your child is prevented from attending school by reason of illness then the absence will be treated as authorised. Leave for medical or dental appointments may be given (i.e. the absence may be authorised) where confirmation has been received from the parents (either in person, in writing or on production of an appointments card). A record is maintained by the School Office for the purpose of recording pupils leaving or returning to the site.
b. Special Occasions - It is for schools to determine whether an absence in this category should be authorised or not: much will depend on the circumstances of the particular case. Generally only truly exceptional occasions will be sanctioned through authorised absence after discussion with the Headteacher.
c. Family Bereavements - The death of a family member can be a
particularly traumatic event in any young person's life. Schools have discretion to authorise absence to attend funerals or associated events and any request would be dealt with sympathetically.
d. Family Holidays –Please see footnote.
e. Days of Religious Observance - Absence of a pupil for participation in a
day set aside exclusively for religious observation by the religious body to which the parents belong is classified as authorised absence.
It would be helpful if the school could be given advance of religious observance days.
ABSCONDING FROM SCHOOL SITE
Please see Appendix 1
LATENESS
The school policy is to encourage punctuality and actively discourage lateness as it can seriously disrupt lessons and the academic progress a child will make. If a child is late and misses registration, a late mark will be recorded in the late book. If however a pattern of lateness starts to emerge, parents will be invited to discuss the matter with the deputy/headteacher in order to reach a satisfactory solution.
Pupils are late if they are not in the school building by 8.50 am.
1. Pupils will not be recorded as late if the taxi arrives after 8.50am and pupils enter the building immediately and go to their designated area.
2. Pupils who arrive after 8.50am and do not enter the building immediately and go to their designated area will be recorded as late.
3. Pupils who arrive before 8.50am and refuse to enter the building or abscond the school site, and then enter the building after 8.50am will be recorded as late.
4. Register will open at 8.45am and close at 8.55am Pupils arriving after 8.55am and before 10.30am will be marked as late. The time of arrival and reason for lateness are recorded in the late book.
5. Pupils arriving after 10.30am who have not been on a certificated medical appointment will be marked as present but this will not count towards attendance percentage
All lates after 8.50am and between 8.55am will be recorded on the arrivals sheet. For register and attendance purposes, the morning session ends at 12.15pm. The afternoon session register opens at 12.40pm and closes at 12.45pm
ENCOURAGING HIGH ATTENDANCE RATES
The School employs various strategies to encourage excellent attendance.
· Daily phone calls are made by the student support coordinator immediately if a child is absent.
· Parents are asked to sign a Home-School Agreement, which makes explicit reference to attendance issues.
· Attendance figures are given out weekly in assembly and a lively spirit engendered in the competition to win Attendance Certificates and treasure chest rewards.
· Certificates and rewards are presented to the pupils with best attendance figures for the term, and at weekly celebration assemblies.
· We also participate in all local authority initiatives to boost and celebrate good attendance.
HOLIDAYS
You should not normally take your child on holiday in term time - it can be disruptive both to your child's learning and to the school. If there are special reasons for needing to take the holiday, like the inflexibility of the parents’ holiday leave then applications should be made as far in advance of the holiday as possible. You need to complete an authorisation form in advance of any family holiday to be taken during school time and you should speak to the school before you book. The Headteacher will only agree to holiday during the school year in very exceptional circumstances and after full consideration given to prior attendance. Holidays not meeting those criteria will be reported as unauthorised absence and you may be subject to a penalty notice for non attendance.
PLEASE READ THE ATTACHED DOCUMENT ISSUED BY KNOWSLEY LOCAL AUTHORITY IN RESPECT OF FIXED PENALTY NOTICES
APPENDIX 1
ABSCONDING PROCEDURE
There are occasions when students leave the school grounds without permission for whatever reason. If that occurs the following procedure must be followed.
1.The incident needs to be reported to a member of the Leadership Team. It will be for SLT to decide the course of action to be undertaken.
2. If a student is seen attempting to leave the school grounds without permission staff should not chase after them, nor should they ask any body else to pursue them. Active pursuit may encourage the child to leave the immediate vicinity of the school and may also cause the student to panic and put themselves at risk by running onto a busy road. Staff should however try to encourage the child to remain on site through verbal interaction whilst trying to ascertain from the student the reason for the upset.
3.If the student does leave the premises it may be deemed appropriate by the members of staff dealing with the situation, under the direction of a member of SLT
a) to monitor via CCTV and / or
b) to engage in a local search.
If a local search is undertaken then staff may encourage the student to get into the transport provided for a safe return to school. If the child refuses then staff may wish to monitor the students progress at a safe distance or return to school. This course of action will be dependent upon
a) the age and vulnerability of the student
b) the prevailing weather conditions,
c) the nature of the incident which led to the student absconding
d) the mood and approachability of the student
N.B
· If the child refuses to get in the transport provided and continues their journey home on foot then the absence will be recorded as an unauthorised absence and will be reported to the school attendance service as such.
· If the child gets into the transport provided but is too agitated or upset to return to school then the members of staff will drop the student off safely at home and the absence will be recorded as an authorised absence.
4. If after 20 minutes the situation has not been resolved and / or the student has not returned on site through their own volition then a member of the school admin team will contact the student’s parents/carers to inform them that their child has absconded. Staff will inform the parents that we will send out a search party and inform them of any change in the situation. Parents are requested to inform us if and when the child returns home. If parents cannot be contacted the school will contact Merseyside Police to inform them of the missing child.
5. If after 60 minutes there is still no outcome parents are advised to contact Merseyside Police to report the student as missing.
Penalty Notice Code of Conduct
Absence and Exclusion – Revised October 2015
This code of conduct covers the issuing of Penalty Notices in respect of unauthorised absence, leave of absence in term time and exclusions. It is an agreement between and on behalf of all Knowsley schools, Knowsley Council and Merseyside Police.
1. Introduction
1.1 Regular and punctual attendance at school is both a legal requirement and essential for pupils to maximise their educational opportunities. School attendance is also an essential component of safeguarding children. Education Penalty Notices offer a swift intervention and may be used to combat school non-attendance problems before they become entrenched and where prosecution may seem inappropriate. Penalty Notices are suitable for use where there is a reasonable expectation of a parent’s ability to bring about improvement, and where parents are not co-operating in those measures being offered, or recommended, to improve attendance.
1.2 Parents and pupils are supported at school and with local authority support to overcome barriers to regular attendance through a wide continuum of assessment and intervention strategies. Sanctions of any nature are for use only where parental co-operation in this process is either absent or deemed insufficient to resolve the problem. Sanctions are used as a means of enforcing attendance where it is likely their use will secure an improvement.
1.3 Regular non-attendance from school may require pastoral support, monitoring or other sanctions rather than a Penalty Notice and following appropriate case work the LA may instigate legal action if applicable, particularly when the family has complex issues and the parents’ capacity is reduced in remedying school absenteeism. In order to comply with human rights legislation, it is essential that Penalty Notices are issued in a consistent manner
1.4 This Code of Conduct will govern the issuing of Penalty Notices in respect of unauthorised absence from school, leave of absence requests and the failure to ensure an excluded child is not present in a public place without reasonable justification within the first five days of any exclusion period.
1.5 Penalty Notices will involve the recipient paying a fine of £120 within 28 days, reduced to £60 if paid within 21 days. Where an unauthorised absence has been dealt with by way of a Penalty Notice and it has been paid, it is not possible for a parent to be prosecuted for the same period of unauthorised absence under Section 444 of the Education Act 1996 or for the same instance of an excluded child being present in a public place under Section 103 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
2. Rationale and legal basis
2.1 There is a legal duty under section 7 of the Education Act 1996 for a parent to ensure their child receives full time education suitable to his age, ability and aptitude. The offence under section 444 relates to a child who is a registered pupil at a school and fails to attend there regularly. In law a parent is guilty of an offence if their child of compulsory school age fails to attend regularly at a school at which they are registered. Penalty Notices supplement the existing sanctions currently available under Section 444 Education Act 1996 or Section 36 Children’s Act 1989 to enforce attendance at school.